Ducking the speed record
The world speed record for steam traction of 126 mph is held by London North eastern Railway A4 class Pacific number 4468 Mallard (later BR number 60022). It was achieved on July 3, 1938, on the descent of Stoke Bank on the east Coast main line while hauling a sevencoach test train.
It beat the record of 124.5 mph by a German streamlined class 05 locomotive set in May 1936.
The aim was to test a new brake design, but the idea that LNeR was going to use this as a means of having a crack at the world record is borne out by the fact Mallard was chosen carefully: it was only four months old, nicely run in and in tip-top condition. The driver was Joe Duddington, renowned as someone prepared to take calculated, as opposed to reckless, risks.
Number 7029 Clun Castle, built by British Railways in 1950, was also a record-holder, but of a different nature. Its record was achieved on May 9, 1964, when hauling a 60th anniversary special train to commemorate the first, albeit unofficial, 100 mph achieved in Britain by the City- class locomotive number 3440 City of Truro in May 1904.
Clun Castle took its seven-coach train 127.6 miles from Plymouth to Bristol Temple Meads in two hours and 13 minutes, setting a new record for steam traction between these two cities.
Averaging less than a mile a minute does not look impressive, but the run included the daunting climbs of the three South Devon banks. Put in context, it was a phenomenal run, including a top speed of 96 mph near Taunton.
While Mallard’s record was achieved by a carefully prepared engine on a short high-speed dash downhill, Clun Castle’s was achieved as a result of sustained high power output over time, particularly between Plymouth and exeter, over a challenging section of line.
Clun Castle’s record stood until May 2014, when its restored GWR-built Castle classmate, No. 5043 earl of Mount edgcumbe, hauling a 50th anniversary special train to commemorate the 1964 record run, completed the same journey three minutes faster. Keith Faulkner, Tamworth, Staffs.
QUESTION Has a footballer missed a penalty deliberately because he believed it had been wrongly awarded?
AN INCIDeNT of this nature took place during the Carlsberg Cup match in 2003 between Denmark and Iran.
With half-time approaching, an Iranian player heard the sound of a whistle from the crowd, but assumed it had come from the referee. he picked up the ball inside his own penalty area before booting it downfield towards the halfway line.
The referee had no hesitation in awarding the Danes a penalty.
however, after a quick chat with coach Morten Olsen and his team-mates, Danish midfielder Morten Wieghorst missed the penalty deliberately by sidefooting the ball wide of goal . he clearly indicated that the spot kick should not have been awarded in the first place.
The Iranian players were amazed and applauded Wieghorst, while their fans gave him a standing ovation.
Denmark lost the game 1-0, but, as a consolation prize, Wieghorst was presented with an Olympic Committee fair play award for his sportsmanship.
Tony Matthews, Cortijo Cabrera, Spain. VIVIAN WOODWARD, an amateur for Tottenham hotspur and Chelsea at the turn of the last century, deliberately missed a penalty in england’s first amateur international.
On November 1, 1906, england played France at Parc des Princes. A penalty was awarded when French full-back Fernand Canelle was judged to have handled the ball. Woodward believed it was accidental, so missed the penalty deliberately. It did not affect the result, a 15-0 win for england, with Woodward scoring four. Ellen Gray, Watford, Herts.
QUESTION What products have taken on a different role than intended?
FuRTheR to the earlier answer, the soft drinks Coca-Cola and 7uP started life as medicinal draughts.
In April 1865, American chemist Dr John Pemberton, of Georgia, became addicted to morphine after sustaining a sword wound to the chest during the Civil War Battle of Columbus.
In an attempt to wean himself off it, he created French Wine Coca containing alcohol, kola nuts (caffeine) and coca leaves (cocaine).
After the state capital Atlanta prohibited alcohol in 1886, Pemberton reformulated his product using a syrup base and carbonated water — Coca-Cola was born. The cocaine was removed in 1903.
Likewise, 7uP was the patent medicine Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda invented in 1929. It contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilising drug. It was renamed 7uP in 1936 and the lithium citrate was removed in 1948.
Vernon Williams, Cardiff.