Leeds nostalgia: Mallard pulls into Leeds to mark 50th anniversary of world speed record... in 1988
Later this year, it will be 80 years since the Mallard set its world speed record on the East Coast mainline, achieving 126mph but 30 years ago it will pulling into Leeds, as shown in the picture.
After pulling a heavy load of 12 carriages carrying 250 top Post Office customers and stamp collectors, the train was forced to stop for extra water supplies. The steam giant was making a special run across the Pennines to mark two major anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of its steam train record and the 150th anniversary of the first travelling post office, which was a Midland horsebox.
The Post Office was issuing a new set of stamps, including a special 18p version bearing a picture of the Mallard.
The handsome blue engine rolled into the station with a toot at platform five where it stayed for five minutes while
the locomotive was watered,before racing off towards York to make up for lost time.
In 1982, to mark the anniversary, Viscount Downe, chairman of the National Railway Museum, York, launched an appeal to get it back on track.