Today we decided to take our weekly field trip a bit early in the week.  There was something on we wanted to see. Mr. Ray offered to drive us up to Shildon to the train museum. This is the last week that the six A4 trains will be on display together as the trains from across the Atlantic are shipping home.

The A4 locomotives are the fastest steam locomotives that were ever made. There are six of them remaining in the world. They have traveled to be on display here together. On 3 July 1938, the A4 class locomotive Mallard raced down Stoke Bank at 126mph to set a new steam locomotive world speed record which, as I understand, still stands today.  Read on here:

http://www.nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/Events/mallard-great-goodbye-shildon.aspx

We knew it would be a well attended event but we were shocked at the size of the crowd that traveled there today. The queue to get into the car park was 40 minutes long. We were able to get several photos of the record fast steamys, however we could not wait in the incredible queue of people to walk around and inside them. I mean this line rivalled Disney World in July.

It was a fun adventure and I am glad that we got the chance to see the trains before they were gone.  What things we see here!

Cheers,

Beth

Those quick steam engines eat a lot of coal!