York has a brilliant RR museum so I went to spend a couple hours.
On the small side is a wee driverless electric 2′ gauge (wheel base width) mail train that ran under the the city of London from 1927 to 2003 carrying up to 4 million parcels a day to various mail distribution facilities.
To the world speed holder, The Mallard which in 1938 set a speed record for steam locomotives at 126 mph (203 km/h). The record was achieved on 3 July 1938.
This was my first time coming in contact with steam engine trains and one of the guides, Anni, shared a lot of minutia with me. Like how difficult it was to steadily and uniformly stoking the 3000 degree coal fire with a small shovelful every 10 seconds. it was so hot that the shovel would melt in 90 seconds. 
There was a Royal train that would carry Queen Victoria to holiday to Scotland.
It was richly appointed.
Mail trains sorted the mail as they rolled.
And this was cool:
One of the things I had never considered was that even very young children often traveled alone und the charge of the onboard guard.
Must have been scary.
And some final photos.
{ 0 comments… add one now }