The Silver Jubilee

‘The Silver Jubilee’ was the first streamlined train in the UK when introduced by the LNER in 1935 and ran between London King’s Cross and Newcastle Central.

Inspired by the success of the streamlined high-speed two-car diesel ‘Fliegender Hamburger’ service between Berlin and Hamburg introduced by Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1933, the LNER proposed the following year to introduce a similar high-speed service between London and Newcastle during 1935. Over the next few months, the plans were all changed to comprise a normal-length train hauled by a steam locomotive, all being streamlined. The service was to run once per day in each direction, departing from Newcastle Central at 10:00hrs and returning from London King’s Cross at 17:30hrs.

To operate the service, an entirely new train was constructed – four locomotives (one of which was spare) and seven carriages were ordered in March 1935, all to new designs. The four locomotives were LNER Class A4, but only one of these, No. 2509 Silver Link, was ready in time for the introduction of the service – the others followed at intervals until December. The carriages were all ready in time for trial runs to be made on 27th September 1935. One set of special carriages were built for the two daily services, which were not used on any other service.

It commenced service on 30th 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. The high average speed was maintained by running at high speeds uphill.

The train was introduced in the year of King George V’s Silver Jubilee, and was painted silver and grey throughout. It was composed of two twin-set articulated coaches, and one triplet-set; seven coaches in total. In February 1938, an eighth coach was inserted into the third class twin set, bringing the total to eight coaches.

As was to become the tradition with the LNER’s streamlined trains, four class A4 ‘Pacifics’ were specially named for the service. Initially turned out in a two-tone grey livery to match the train, all were later rapained in what was to become the standard garter blue with indian red wheels.

No. 2509 (BR No. 60014) Silver Link.
No. 2510 (BR No. 60015) Quicksilver.
No. 2509 (BR No. 60016) Silver King.
No. 2510 (BR No. 60017) Silver Fox.

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. In 1948, various vehicles returned to service as general passenger stock, but they never ran as a full set again.