Ok, Now you have my attention.

[smash]

Was browsing youtube and found this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycJkfaHAhEQ

Its the Bittern at 90 MPH.
What gets me is the first shot in the dark. You can really see the flames in the cab, Coming and going.

To bad we cannot have this done in the US. Between the FRA and UP it would take a miracle.
I do know that most of the UP steam locos may not go 90 mph, but still.
Kenny

 

[Timothetoolman]

A lot of red tape has been cut in order to achieve this. Steam on Britain's mainlines is restricted to 75MPH, depending on the locomotive. The reason for these trips is the 75th Anniversary of Mallard's Speed Record, and a number of special (and limited) runs with Bittern at 90MPH is just part of the celebrations. It's only a testament to the quality of the loco's restoration work that such runs are permitted. I can not think that this privilege will be a long standing one, only for this rather special circumstance.

Tim

 

[wilh]

Hmm, funny you should post this as I just finished reading about it in the Railway Magazine.
Quite the spectacular show if you ask me.

 

[brokensleeper]

A video Bittern on June 29 90 MPH run

 

[pfx]

Its the Bittern at 90 MPH.

Stunning to see one of these machines being used as they once were. Rare to see a steam loco doing much over 25mph since heritage lines are so speed restricted.

 

[mezzoprezzo]

Great videos, and good to see approval for a high speed run. Thanks for posting guys!

You’d have thought they might have had the decency to temporarily take down the catenary gear, replace the electronic signals with semaphores and replace the all welded track with “proper” fishplated joints so that we could have enjoyed the complete experience!

I must say, as someone who experienced several close encounters with steam in my 1950s & 60s formative years, it brought back many memories of high speed passenger traffic passing local (often far too close!) train spotting locations. I did miss the clickety-clack though. The constant pitch of the all welded track on the videos sounded really odd after the predominant sound of the loco had passed.

 

[Paulsw2]

An extraordinary sight, especially the aerial view over Doncaster - did I see people fleeing from the edge of the platform as Bittern raced through at 90? I imagine that very few people on that platform had ever seen a steam loco at speed, so it probably came as a bit of a shock!

Paul

 

[opus722]

Having been born years after the end of mainline steam it took me a while to realize that these locomotives regularly ran at speeds far beyond the current limitations of restored machines. It is quite the sight to see one going this fast and it's not even reaching 2/3 the Mallard's speed record.

 

[rjhowie]

There is still something wonderfully fascinating about a fast steam train streaming down a line. Found it as a boy and the things has never left me no matter how fast a diesle of electric train goes.