The Elizabethan

The Elizabethan

Gresley A4 4-6-2 No. 60028 'Walter K. Whigham’ stands ready at London King's Cross for the inaugural service on 29 June 1953.
Overview
Service type	Passenger train
Predecessor	Capitals Limited
First service	29 June 1953
Last service	1963
Former operator(s)	BR
Route
Termini	London King’s Cross Edinburgh Waverley railway station
Stops	none
Distance travelled	394 mi (634 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Line(s) used	East Coast Mainline
On-board services
Catering facilities	yes
Baggage facilities	yes
Technical
Track owner(s)	British Railways
Route map (Click to expand)

The Elizabethan was a British Railways non-stop passenger train that ran between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley in the United Kingdom. The daily service, which operated for ten years from 1953 to 1963, took just over 6hrs. It was hauled by steam engines until they were replaced by diesel units in 1961.

History

Mallard passes Darlington with the last steam hauled northbound run of the Elizabethan in September 1961.

In 1953, the summer-only, non-stop Capitals Limited express train was renamed The Elizabethan by British Railways to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.[1][2] The initial service, which at the time, was the longest scheduled non-stop railway journey in the world,[3] took 6hrs 45mins but this was reduced a year later by 15mins in 1954. This gave an average speed of just over 60 mph (97 km/h); which was regarded as a creditable achievement for the UK rail infrastructure in the postwar era.[4]

In 1954, the film Elizabethan Express was made by British Transport Films to advertise and promote the train. Starting at King's Cross, the film showed off the high standard onboard such as catering and passenger comforts while also capturing the hard work of the train crew and the hospitality staff onboard the LNER Class A4 steam locomotive as it ran non stop from London to Edinburgh. Scenes included the engine running through water troughs (about (11,000 imperial gallons (50,000 L) was needed by the locomotive per run), changing drivers, kitchen staff preparing meals, sorting mail in the goods carriage, and the work of the BR station staff.[4] The film is still highly regarded for its well-filmed sequences by cinematographer Billy Williams capturing the full speed Gresley A4 on the East Coast main line. It was narrated by Howard Marion Crawford and Alan Wheatley[5][6]

Steam haulage of The Elizabethan came to an end on 8 September 1961 when they were replaced by British Rail Class 47 diesel units. On the final day of steam, the northbound service was hauled by No 60022 Mallard, which was (and remains) the holder of the world speed record for steam.[7]

British Railways withdrew The Elizabethan non-stop service in 1963.

References

1. Allen, Cecil J. (1967). Titled Trains of Great Britain. Ian Allan Ltd. p. 75.
2. "Speed up of Main Line Trains". Dundee Courier. England. 16 May 1953. Retrieved 27 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. Semmens, P.W.B. (January 1993). "War & peace: Railway practice and performance". The Railway Magazine. London. p. 53.
4. Semmens, P.W.B. (January 1993). "War & peace: Railway practice and performance". The Railway Magazine. London. p. 53.
5. "The Elizabethan". The Railway magazine. Vol. 149. 2003. p. 30.
6. Elizabethan Express Archived 9 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine at Moving History. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
7. Locomotives of the LNER Vol 2A, RCTS