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The first locomotives to ever operate in the country ran at 13-30 miles per hour. During the 1830s, trains could run up to 27 miles per hour. And from 1855-1870, speeds increased to around 80 miles per hour. Lastly, the highest speed for trains in the 1800s was around 112 miles per hour.
The following is a list of speed records for rail vehicles with on-board fuel to mechanical energy to drive vehicle's wheels such as diesel-hydraulic trains and gas turbine locomotive trains that use mechanical transmission to power the drive wheels.
Discover the maximum speeds of steam locomotives in the 1860s and the factors that affected train speed. Learn about differences in train travel then and now and the impact of train travel on society.
LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard is officially the fastest steam locomotive, reaching 126 mph (203 km/h) on 3 July 1938. LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman was the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 mph (160 km/h), on 30 November 1934.
The locomotive was driven by a 2.2 kW, series-wound motor, and the train, consisting of the locomotive and three cars, reached a speed of 13 km/h. During four months, the train carried 90,000 passengers on a 300-metre-long (984 feet) circular track.
Steam-locomotive driving wheels were of various sizes, usually larger for the faster passenger engines. The average was about a 1,829–2,032-mm (72–80-inch) diameter for passenger engines and 1,372–1,676 mm (54–66 inches) for freight or mixed-traffic types.
Rail speed limits in the United States are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroads also implement their own limits and enforce speed limits. Speed restrictions are based on a number of factors including curvature, signaling, track condition, and the presence of grade crossings.
