The birthday of the man behind the world’s fastest steam locomotive has been marked with a special historic re-enactment.
Sir Nigel Gresley, who was born on this day in 1876, designed the Mallard, which will celebrate 75 years of holding the speed record for steam on July 3.
Actor Chris Cade from Platform 4 Theatre dressed as Gresley and posed beside the famous loco at the National Railway Museum in York to recreate a classic photograph from 1938 – the year of the Mallard’s record run.
The original photo, taken at Doncaster Works, actually showed Gresley standing beside the Sir Nigel Gresley locomotive, which is also an A4-class and is virtually identical.
But the train that bears his name is not due to arrive at the railway museum until next week, as all six of the remaining 35 A4s that were built are brought together in the Grand Hall to mark the Mallard’s anniversary.
Three of Mallard’s sister locomotives are currently on display in York with a fourth on site.
Organisers say the gathering of the machines – two of which have been repatriated from museums in North America especially – will be a “once-in-a-lifetime event”.
One of the A4s, the Bittern, will steam up the East Coast Mainline from London at 90mph on June 29 after it was granted special permission to exceed the 75mph speed limit steam trains are legally restricted to.
Gresley was born in Edinburgh and died on April 5, 1941 after a short illness. He was buried in Netherseal, Derbyshire where he was raised.
Chris Nettleton of the Gresley Society said: “It is testament to Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley’s brilliance that one of his locomotive designs captured the world speed crown, marking a pinnacle for British engineering which became a significant marker in global history.
“Gresley is one of the greatest engineers the world has ever known and it is only fitting that his work be recognised both with this award and the museum’s upcoming Great Gathering.”
The Great Gathering of Mallard and its sisters takes place from July 3 to 17 at the National Railway Museum in York.