1961-05-27 — Page 19

STASERA MALAYO SANDAK ADA, makinelerden dzsekiktsituner aligned sweter vane Aabout ge

! Pagë 3

The day Britain's train beat the world

THE CHELTENHAM

FLYER

THOUSANDS CHEERED THE

RECORD BREAKER ON HER TREMENDOUS RUN

WHISTLES shrilled. Doors slammed. A tubby stationmaster ran up

and down the platform shouting "Stand clear of the train, please.”

Men with notebooks and stop-watches leapt on board. Driver Jim

Street looked at his watch.

And then with one great hoot from the engine and cries of "Good luck, Jim" from the railwaymen, the 3.48 pm train began to huft and chuff out of Swindon carrying with it British prestige.

The train was the Chelten- bam Flyer, always one of

Britain's crack trains.

At the end of the first world war it used to do the stretch from Swindon to Paddington 7734 miles in 85 minutes.

In 1923 this was cut to 75 minutes, giving an average speed of 61.8 miles an hour and making it Britain's fastest train.

And in 1929 it had been cut again to 70 mins, raising the average speed to 66,2 miles an hour and making it the fastest regular train in the world.

New service

Fastest men :

in the world

discussing whether the train After the run, driver Street (right) and fireman Sherer. would meet its schedule. "This

Street between North Platte

andi

is going to shake-up the C.P.R.," said one. "Providing When he had room, nothing goes wrong," said pulled out his watch. Then he Kearney, Nebraska, 85 mila in another. "We shall be a laugh- spoke: "A nice little rum" he 79 minutes-72.1 miles an hour. ing stock if it does."

become a fireman and then a

Within five and a half miles driver, had been driving for 29 they were up to Shrivenham 36 years. years and on the footplate for and running at over 80 miles He had driven some an hour and still going faster. crack trains and knew every 85, at Challow 87.

At Uffington they were doing fence and cutting and bank on the

Their from Swindon to London.

run

- was an

In some ways he odd man, inclined to fuss, strict in his regard for railway rules and regulations, given to reporting the slightest irregu- larity or trouble in an engine.

But

said.

Little progress

Indeed the fastest regular service by any type of train --- held by the Twin Zephyrs diesel traction train which 195 the Later he explained:

miles "Oh, I 541

between Best could have got more out of her Dubuque and Prairie dae Chien, but I couldn't overrun the in America-is only 852 miles speed was to go up Cornish Rivera Express. There an hour, and down all the way due to were other trains about you traffic and track conditions but know.” it was not to drop below 80 until they were almost in Before his retirement in 1936.

Paddington.

100 miles

Street was to touch Sherer was shovelling coal into Flyer.

On the footplate Fireman an hour with the Cheltenham

the firebox. he

He was to shift was known as the

26 cwt, in the next hour. most reliable and dependable driver on the railway, in fog to 80.

At Cholsey they were down or snow Street

At Tilehurst up to 84 would get

again. through nearer to time than any other man.

Smooth rhythm

fields

A

Laugh corner

MAN from outer space come to earth. Ke

But now he was a national hero. Airmen made him a guest of honour with the R.A.F.'s felt out of place dressed, in

Schneider fast-flying

Trophy his spaceman's uniform... winners at a dinner. At another

aluminium ́suit and kelmet one he was honoured with

Kaye Don, the water speed ace, with antennas. J. S. Wright, holder of the motor-cycle world speed record, and jockey Steve Donoghue.

But in April 1931, the With him on this run was to famous Canadain Pacific Rail- be his usual mate, Fireman way re-scheduled two of their F. W. Sherer.

Harvesters in the

Finally he wandered into a runs to speeds of 67.3 and 68.9 On the front of the Launces stopped work to cheer. Service

restaurant. He missed his miles an hour and the record ton Castle's smokebox a huge men at Didcot, golfers on the

home and friends and wished be went to Canada,

signboard was fixed. It said links, railwaymen on the track,

He was flown over thehad never made the trip to earth. The Great Western Railway simply and boldly. "Chelten- women leaning from the up- Cheltenham Flyer while 20-

As World's Fastest stairs windows of their homes, other driver had her at speed Flyer. -as British Railway's Western ham

he was thinking about all waved. Region then was had no in- Train."

so that he could see it from the home the nice, new shiny juke air, tention of sitting

in the restaurant started down under

The plane with a speed of box 120 miles an this.

great deal faster than the train.

hour, was not a playing.

The spaceman jumped up, Today the fastest steam train In the carriages the stop in the world is little faster than threw his arms around the juke watches were in use.

the regular running Cheltenham box and said: "Hi, pal! Why "Surely

didn't you tell me you were cont- Street's not going to try and Flyer of 28 years ago.

We could have It is the Union Pacific Over-ing to earth? time," gasped one

land Limited which runs made the trip together!”-

Here we go

They were through Reading at 84 miles per hour at 420- three minutes early.

Their time-table experts got to work with their jig-saw of There were six coaches, timings, their best locomotives including a tea car behind the

With went into the engine sheds for loco.

passengers they servicing.

weighed almost 200 tons. And then they announced It was 3.48 exactly when a cut the that the Cheltenham Flyer had high Great Western oficial told newspaperman. Dow been re-scheduled to take Jim Street: "Right away, only 67 minutes. This would driver." give an average speed of 69.2 miles an hour.

To start the new service-on September 14, 1931-they chose a Castle class engine, No. 5000, the Launceston Castle.

To drive it they chose Jim Street, who had started on the railways as a cleaner at the age of 15 back in 1891. He had

Then "Good heavens, it's "Here we go," said Street to Twyford already." Through his fireman. 'And then the Twyford at 82. Launceston Castle was moving

On the footplate Sherer gently out.

lowered scoops and, still roar- Within yards Street was ing on, the Launceston Castle opening it up. The train moved wobbled 2,000 gallons of water faster, the wheels began to sing from a trough in a quarter of a and the telegraph wires to bum. minute.

In the carriages the railway- men and

newspapermen were

Singer Bobby Rydell

Credit card to Roy Fay

TAY

Up to 86 miles per hour as they ripped through Maiden- head and Taplow. On through Slough holding that speed and the sun came out for the first time. Workers from the great trading estate there had turned out to see the flying train.

Road bridges across the line were black with spectators but Street, hand on regulator, eyes watching for signals, and Sherer, still shoveiling coal with the smooth rhythm of experience, had ΠΟ time to acknowledge their salutes.

Through Langley, Iver, West Drayton and Hayes they flew at nearly 85, through Southall and then up to the fastest speed of the run, close on 90 as they rocked through Ealing and Acton where factory workers lined the track.

Then through Westbourne Park and the brakes were on. Royal Oak and they were going quietly.

crowd

was

And in Paddington Station am even bigger going wild. For the hands of the great clock there showed that it was still not 4.48.

Street was seven and a half minutes early! The Launceston Castle had done the 77.3 miles in 59 minutes 36 seconds from start to stop an average 77.8 miles an hour. This was nearly 10 miles an hour better than the Canadian trains.

تو

On the train experts were down and jumping up and slapping each other's backs.

As the train clattered to а halt the men from the train joined the crowd in the station in a rush for the footplate. Street and Sherer, calmly wiping their hands on cotton waste, were mobbed. shook their hands. A bouquet of flowers was handed up to the embarrassed Jim Street..

Men

Teenage Elegance

London model Sandra Shire models sophisticated dress styled for special occasions. The dress, seen at a recent showing of teenage fashions in London has a top of taffeta, teamed, with a full skirt of satin.

This is a frock ideal for Hongkong's summer. You can have it made in the one colour or the one piece, and it is also ideal for those of you who love to mix'n match. If you are going to have it made, don't forget the perky rose on the shoulder. ‚·