Mallard

Mallard is the world's fastest steam engine, holding a speed record of 126 mph. He is a very popular exhibit at the National Railway Museum in York and is very well looked after. He is one of six surviving A4s.

The Railway Series
Mallard was built on 3 March, 1938, at Doncaster Works under the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). On 3 July of that year, while undergoing a braking test, Mallard established a world speed record of 126 mph. Mallard was specifically chosen for the record attempt, as he was the first A4 to be fitted with a Kylchap double blastpipe exhaust. He was renumbered to 22 by Edward Thompson's number scheme in 1946, then E22 in the Locomotive Exchange Trials and finally to 60022 in the days of British Railways. After the decline of steam, Mallard was immediately preserved and put on display at the Museum of British Transport in Clapham, London. In 1975 he was taken to the National Railway Museum, where he sat until 1986 when he was overhauled and taken onto the main line. In 1988, the 50th anniversary of his record, he worked a series of railtours under the banner "Mallard 88", which included work on the Settle and Carlisle line. Before he was retired and put back on display. He has not run since.

It was announced in March 2010 that Mallard was to be moved to Locomotion, the National Railway Museum in Shildon, on 23 June, 2010. He was pulled by the brand new steam engine Tornado; his departure from the museum was a result of the planned redevelopment of the National Railway Museum's Great Hall, which was cancelled due to unsuccessful funding.

Mallard returned to York in July 2011. He was due to travel to the DB Museum in Nuremberg, Germany for a speed exhibition later in the year, but due to expenses, the event was cancelled. Mallard was one of the engines at Railfest in June 2012.

Mallard celebrated the 75th anniversary of his world speed record in 2013, with all of his preserved A4 siblings. As well as Mallard being painted in the LNER garter blue livery, his two transatlantic A4 siblings, No. 4489 Dominion of Canada and No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower were both temporarily shipped back to England to take part in the anniversary (both returned in spring 2014). The event was also attended by fellow siblings No. 4464 Bittern, No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, and No. 60009 Union of South Africa.

Personality
In The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, Mallard is described to be a rather snooty-looking engine. In Character Encyclopedia, he is mentioned as being Spencer's famous brother.

Basis
Mallard is based on the real LNER A4 4-6-2 Pacific of the same name, No. 4468 Mallard.

Livery
Mallard is currently painted in the LNER garter blue livery. His wheels and steel rims are painted red. He has black nameplates with "MALLARD" on them in brass and plaques on the sides of his boiler commemorating his world record. In British Railways (BR) service without wheel skirts, Mallard was first repainted into express passenger blue. He was then painted in the BR Deep Bronze green livery for the rest of his working life. For a brief period in August 2012, Mallard was painted in the LNER wartime black livery.

Appearances
Railway Series= {{Scroll box|

The Railway Series

 * Gordon the High-Speed Engine - High-Speed Gordon and Gordon Proves His Point
 * Thomas and the Great Railway Show - Thomas and the Railtour

Companion Volumes
}} Other Media=
 * 1979 - Annual
 * 1995 - The Thomas the Tank Engine Man
 * 1999 - Annual
 * 2007 - Thomas the Tank Engine: The New Collection

Books

 * 2005 - Thomas Goods Encyclopedia
 * 2018 - Character Encyclopedia

Documentaries
Mallard has also appeared in the Thomas Creator Collective.
 * 2005 - Hashire! The "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" Steam Locomotive is Alive!

Voice Actors

 * Tokuyoshi Kawashima

Trivia

 * In the 1999 annual, Mallard incorrectly has the number 4489, which belongs to classmate Dominion of Canada, which is also preserved. Dominion of Canada is unique in that he has a brass bell mounted on his smokebox, directly below his funnel and flush with his whistle.
 * Unlike his brother, Spencer, Mallard has side valances partially covering his wheels. Spencer does not have side valances, much like how the A4s looked post-1941.

Miscellaneous
Mallard Mallard מאלרד Mallard Маллард