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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 12, Issue 7 (October 1, 1937.)

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Streamlined throughout, and decorated in a wonderful exterior colouring of blue and silver, the “Coronation Scot,” new Anglo-Scottish flyer of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway has excited world-wide admiration. Covering the 401½ miles each way between London (Euston) and Glasgow (Central) in six-and-a-half hours, the “Coronation Scot” is easily the fastest rail service on record between the two cities. Five new streamlined, high-speed locomotives have been built for the service, together with three complete nine-coach luxury trains employing air-conditioned ventilation and striking schemes of exterior and interior decoration. The locomotives are a product of the railway shops at Crewe, while the carriages also are railway-built, coming from the L.M. & S. shops at Wolverton.

In effect, the new “Coronation” locomotives are a modified streamlined version of the successful “Princess Royal” class, introduced in 1933. All projections have been smoothed away, the only visible parts reminiscent of an orthodox locomotive being the wheels and motion. Nearly 74 feet long overall, the locomotive weighs 164 tons 9 cwts. It has a larger boiler than the “Princess Royal,” and in order to give increased speed the driving wheels are of 6 ft. 9 in. diameter (3 in. larger). Steam pressure is 250 lbs. per sq. in., and the four cylinders each have a diameter of 16½ in., while the grate area is no less than 50 sq. ft.—eleven per cent, greater than the “Princess Royals.” The superheater is exceptionally large, consisting of 40 tubes with a total heating surface of 856 sq. ft. The comfort of the engine crews has been carefully studied, features of the cab equipment being double sliding-windows, tip-up seats, and draught-preventing doors and look-out screen. The six-wheeled tender is the largest ever built by the L.M. & S. for passenger work. A novel feature is the provision at the back of the tender of a steamoperated coal - pusher (which may be operated by the engine-men during the run) so as to push the coal forward within reach of the fireman, thus saving considerable manual labour.

The colour scheme of the “Coronation” locomotive is blue and silver, there being four horizontal bands of silver running along the engine, and continuing throughout the train, and meeting in a V-shaped point at the streamlined “nose” of the locomotive. The effect at full speed is that of a glorious blue and silver flash. Each nine-coach train seats 82 first and 150 third-class passengers, the total weight of the train being 297 tons unloaded. Two kitchen cars are included in the make-up of each complete train. Both saloon and compartment type accommodation is provided, and the interior decoration is on pleasing modern lines. Different timbers are used in each car, these varying from English oak to Australian maple and walnut. The furnishings and trimmings are carried out in blue, green and brown, each train being completed in one colour. The metal fittings are finished satin matt chrome in the first-class cars, and oxidised Venetian bronze in the third-class. For lighting, tubular strip lamps are mainly employed, harmonising with the general decorative scheme.

L.M. & S. 4—6—2 Streamlined Locomotive “Coronation.”

L.M. & S. 4—6—2 Streamlined Locomotive “Coronation.”

Altogether, the “Coronation Scot” is indeed a handsome train.