WORLD'S TRAIN RECORD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19974, 16 June 1928, Page 8

WORLD'S TRAIN RECORD.

r "FLYING SCOTSMAN'S" FEAT NON-STOP RUN OF 392 MILES. i' LONDON TO EDINBURGH. | - '/" TRIUMPHAL INAUGURATION. Railway romance in Britain was carried % si ago further on May 1, -when the longest non-stop service in the world was inaugurated by the " Flying Scotsman between King's Gross, London, and W aver! cy Station, Edinburgh—a distance of 392 miles. The previous record was held by tho Royal Scot, which mado the daily journey of miles between Lust on and Carlisle. The first " Flying Scotsman " that left. Edinburgh on the non-stop run to London reached King's Cross two and a-half minutes ahead of time. Tho train that made a non-stop run in tho reverse direction on the same day reached Edinburgh 13 minutes ahead of time. In this successful manner tho new daily scrvico of the London and North-Eastern Railway was inaugurated. There was a very large crowd of people at King's Cross to welcome tho train from Edinburgh as it steamc-d into tho station. Tho timing of tho journey had been as follows:—Berwick, ono minute earlyj Newcastle, three minutes late: York, one minute early; Doricaster, three minutes early; Grantham, two minutes early; Peterborough, orto minute early; j Hatfield, one minute late; King's Cross, j two and a-half minutes early. For the first half of tho journey tho train was driven by Driver T. Henderson, with Fireman R. McKenzio, both of Edinburgh; and tho second half by Driver j 'J. Day, with Fireman F. Gray, both of ; King's Cross. J Seventy Miles an Hour. 'As the hugo engine steamed alongside Ih© platform the crowd cheered heartily, and tho drivers and firemen were quickly surrounded by officials and friends, anxious to congratulate them on their record run. On tho platform were Mr. (William Whitelaw, the chairman of the London and North-Eastern Railway Company, arid Sir Italph Wedgwood, chief general manager, and Lady Wedgwood. Mr. Whitelaw presented each of the •drivers and firemen with a case of pipes and a tobacco pouch, with a silver plate recording that it was "to commemorate the first non-stop run between London and Edinburgh, May 1, 1928.'' Driver Henderson stated that the ongir.e behaved splendidly all ilie way, and everything went smoothly throughout the journey. Before they left Edinburgh, he said, a rosette of white heather and white silk was presented to each of thera by Miss Haig, on behalf of tho Lord Provost, and n, large one, with a horseshoe, was attached to the front of tho engine. Mr. J. Day, who brought tho train into King's Cross,' gave an equally satisfactory ac count of his portion of tho journey, and said that the greatest speed was reached about Hatfield, which was passed at 70 piles an hour. The drivers aud firemen changed places &bout 200 miles from either terminus, at tho village of Tollerton, between Yori/ and Thir.sk, a level stretch known as tho '"galloping track," passing to and from the guard's brake van to tho engiuo by a special corridor. The engine is of the "Pacific' type and weighs 154 tons with its tender. Passenger in Barber's Chair. r X representative of the Daily Express who travelled' on the train from London to Edinburgh wrote: —"I have earned enviable fame to-day as the first man in Europe to have a pine tar shampoo on a travelling railway train. No sooner was tho 'Flying Scotsman' clear of King's Cross on its initial non-stop run to Edinburgh, than there was a stampede for tho hairdressing saloon, the latest novelty on any train east of the 'Atlantic. By good luck aud consummate strategy I dived into the saloon first, plumped in a chair, and a towel was whisked round my neck. "Shampoo," I said. "Pine tar?" was the answering question, and "pino tar" 5t was. An invigorating 'pino tar' that sent me a few minutes later to the driver's and fireman's lounge, where Driver Blades and Fireman Morris were enjoying tho morning news and talking of engines and the five and a-half tons of coal tho 'Flying Scotsman' devours on her long non-stop journey. "Driver Blades got np from the 'cushioned scat and took down from the rack a bouquet of flowers which _an unknown enthusiast had given just ns the 'Flying Scotsman' left King's Cross. It boro tho label: 'Best of luck to tho Flying Scotsman, from a supporter, May 1, 1928.—Forward.' From Rest Room to Tender. "I left the rest room and entered the tender. Crooking my neck I passed through a narrow steel corridor leading to tho engine. My foot was on the huge, demoniacal monster that was tearing across England at fifty-fivo miles an .hour, bearing 500 tons of dead-weight. 'V merry-faced, dark-haired man was twiddling with gadgets and laughing like ». schoolboy. He was Driver Pidworth. It was great to him, this non-stop run. He was enjoying every minuto of it. "Fireman Goddard was shovelling coal into a cavern that glowed white hot. Lower down in tho train the electric kitchen was cooking chickens arid freezing ires at the same time witllin a few feet of each other. The boudoir attendant was attending to tho gentler amenities of beauty. It was not a train, but y. world's hotel on wheels; and not once (did we stop. "The lino was fringed with people tevervwherc, who carno to bid the 'Flying Scotsman' good luck. Peterborough came out to see us. York sent its crowds. On we went with never a halt till wo drew into Waverley Station at Edinburgh, thirteen minutes before scheduled time, to be welcomed with the news, a few minutes later, that our lister train, which had started from Edinburgh, had also arrived at London gust before her appointed hour." Presentations at Edinburgh. Tho Lord Mayor of London, Sir Charles Batlio, was among those who irheered the "Flying Scotsman" on its departure from King's Cross. Enthusiastic scenes marked tho arrival of the train at Edinburgh, and on behalf of the passengers pocket-books were presented to Drivers Pidworth and Blades and Firemen Goddard and Morris, who manned the engine. When lho train approaches Tollerton the relieving driver passes through a communicating door that leads to the footplate, and then takes over the "seals of office" in the form of the throttle and other levers. .After the driver lias been relieved tho new fireman comes ort duty. He is handed his "sword"—a shovel—as an official indication that tho fireman B°ing off duty is at liberty to retire and spend tho rest of the journey as a passenger. yur!" s, gnals have to be observed m 200 signal boxes.