Mallard: How the Blue Streak Broke the World Speed Record

In July 1938, the superbly streamlined A4 Pacific class steam locomotive "Mallard" set a world speed record of 126 miles per hour, a record that still stands. This engrossing history covers the rise of the Mallard, a tale that goes back to the late 19th century when the rival railway companies first began to vie with one another to set speed records. It charts the technological development of the steam engine through the early decades of the 20th century into a hugely powerful and truly locomotive machine. Above all, it focuses on the singular and larger-than-life character of Sir Nigel Gresley, the Mallard's designer and one of history’s most gifted engineers. Packed with interviews with surviving crew members and their relatives, this account also provides an hour-by-hour timeline of the first time the “Blue Steak” attempted to break the record and thunder into the record books.