The Silver Jubilee train leaving King's Cross on 27 September 1935 on a trial run north during which it attained a record speed of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h)
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 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 10:00 am and returning from London King's Cross at 5:30 pm.[1][2][3]
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 27 September. One set of special carriages were built for the two daily services, which were not used on any other service.[1][2][3]
It commenced service on 30 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.[4] The high average speed was maintained by running at high speeds uphill.[5]
The train was made in the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee, and was painted silver throughout. It was composed of two twin-setarticulated coaches, and one triplet-set; seven coaches in total.