Silver Jubilee (train)
The Silver Jubilee was a named train of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).
 The Silver Jubilee train leaving King's Cross on 27 September 1935 on a trial run north during which it attained a record speed of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h) | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| First service | 30 September 1935 |
| Former operator(s) | London and North Eastern Railway British Rail |
| Route | |
| Termini | London King's Cross Newcastle |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Line(s) used | East Coast Main Line |
History
It commenced service on 30 September 1935, the train travelling between London King's Cross and Newcastle. It did this at an average speed of 67 mph (108 km/h), taking four hours to complete the journey.[1] The high average speed was maintained by running at high speeds uphill.[2]
The train was made in the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee, and was painted silver 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 Silver Jubilee from St Pancras to Kettering for a honeymoon at nearby Boughton House, one of the bride's family homes.[3]
In February 1938, an eighth coach was inserted into the third class twin set, bringing the total to eight coaches.[4]
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.[5]
Technical details
Engine and train: total length 462 ft 2+3⁄8 in (140.88 m) Total weight: 385 long tons (391 t; 431 short tons).[6]
Revival
The name was briefly applied to one train per day between King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
See also
References
- "New Train's Fast Run". Hull Daily Mail. England. 30 September 1935. Retrieved 19 September 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "LNER "The Silver Jubilee" Train" (PDF). The Engineer. England. 27 September 1935.
- "The Royal Wedding AKA Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's Wedding 1935". British Pathé. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- "LNER Silver Jubilee – Complete Train". elegantsteam.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- Silver Jubilee (6 December 1935). Railway Wonders of the World. Amalgamated Press. pp. 1436–1442.
- L.N.E.R. The Silver Jubilee. The Locomotive Publishing Co.