Silver Jubilee (train)

History

Inspired by the success of the streamlined high-speed two-car diesel Fliegender Hamburger service between Berlin and Hamburg introduced by Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1933, the LNER proposed the following year to introduce a similar high-speed service between London and Newcastle during 1935. Over the next few months, the plans were all changed to comprise a normal-length train hauled by a steam locomotive, all being streamlined. The service was to run once per day in each direction, departing from at 10:00 am and returning from at 5:30 pm.

To operate the service, an entirely new train was constructed – four locomotives (one of which was spare) and seven carriages were ordered in March 1935, all to new designs. The four locomotives were LNER Class A4, but only one of these, No. 2509 Silver Link, was ready in time for the introduction of the service – the others followed at intervals until December. The carriages were all ready in time for trial runs to be made on 27 September 1935. One set of special carriages were built for the two daily services, which were not used on any other service.

It commenced service on 30 September 1935, the train travelling between and . It did this at an average speed of 67 mph, taking four hours to complete the journey. The high average speed was maintained by running at high speeds uphill.

The train was made in the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee, and was painted silver and grey throughout. It was composed of two twin-set articulated coaches, and one triplet-set; seven coaches in total.

On 6 November 1935, the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Gloucester travelled on the Silver Jubilee from St Pancras to Kettering for a honeymoon at nearby Boughton House, one of the bride's family homes.

In February 1938, an eighth coach was inserted into the third class twin set, bringing the total to eight coaches.

The train set a new standard for speed in Britain at that time. Service continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

Technical details

Engine and train: total length 462 ft Total weight: 385 LT.

Revival

The name was briefly applied to one train per day between King's Cross and in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

References

References

1. Nock, O.S.. (1945). "The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley". [[Longman.
2. (April 1973). "Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 2A: Tender Engines - Classes A1 to A10". [[Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.
3. Harris, Michael. (1995). "LNER Carriages". Atlantic Books.
4. . (30 September 1935). ["New Train's Fast Run"](http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19350930/010/0001). *Hull Daily Mail*.
5. . (27 September 1935). ["LNER "The Silver Jubilee" Train"](https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/centaur-wp/theengineer/prod/content/uploads/2018/09/25162928/Gresley-Silver-Jubilee.pdf). *The Engineer*.
6. "The Royal Wedding AKA Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's Wedding in 1935".
7. "LNER Silver Jubilee – Complete Train".
8. Silver Jubilee. (6 December 1935). "Railway Wonders of the World". Amalgamated Press.
9. L.N.E.R. "The Silver Jubilee". The Locomotive Publishing Co.