Le Corbusier wrote:I understood that on the Little Bytham portion of the main line the large pacific expresses regularly hit 80mph (and greater) and I think that this capability is one of the governing criteria for his model. Isn't this the portion of line where Mallard achieved the record?
Yes, on Stoke Bank, on a brake test special, not a service train. It also did itself some damage in the process. The high speeds by streamliners [the context for the test] and a few other trains were required to balance the enforced low speeds at locations such as Offord, Peterborough and Grantham [all altered since steam ceased] and any out of course delays. None of this is relevant to my point that only a very, very few trains achieved anything approaching these speeds in steam days [WCML and ECML electrics now do it day in, day out, as do IC125s]. The average was much more mundane. I don't think anyone working in P4 has produced a model of one of the locations where it could happen?
I have enjoyed watching Stoke Summit at shows, although watching a procession of trains doesn't normally appeal to me that much. I think the difference may well have been due to the efforts made to produce accurate train formations. The racing car starts out of the down goods loop did irritate a bit, though. Did the operators leave the power on and just change the points?