TIMING ACROSS THE NORTH DOWNS

There are many speedy stretches in Britain where train timers have enjoyed timing steam at high speeds. There are those stretches of track over fairly long distances that provide the timer with plenty to write home about. During steam days a host of trains were timed at more than 60mph over long distances. Among the fastest were famous expresses like ‘The Bristolian’, ‘The Caledonian’, ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ and ‘The Talisman’, to mention a few.

There were many stretches that steam crews relished where, if not 60mph, average start-to-stop times were not far short of it. We have records of the thoroughbreds of the East Coast Main Line racing down Stoke Bank, as well as pacing on the fine stretch between Hitchen and Huntingdon and, of course, not forgetting speeding across the Vale of York. Then we have the Bulleid ‘Pacifics’ heroic efforts on the West of England route. High speeds were recorded in the dips all along the route and especially on the stretch past Axminster. The fine stretch after Leagrave on the Midland Main Line down to Bedford provided excitement, with ‘Jubilees’, ‘Scots’, ‘Patriots’ and, later, ‘Brits’ speeding down the long stretches of one-in-200 down. Then northward from Tring down to the Trent Valley, high speed