LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard
London and North Eastern Railway locomotive numbered 4468 "Mallard" is a Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive built at Doncaster Works, England in 1938. It is historically significant as the holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives at .
Berlin–Hamburg Railway
On 11 May 1936, high-speed steam locomotive 05 002, hauling three express carriages and a test van, reached 200.4 km/h at the 52 km mark between Vietznitz and Paulinenaue, a world record for steam locomotives.
On 15 May 1933, Germany’s first high-speed diesel train, DRG 877 "Fliegender Hamburger" ("Flying Hamburger"), was introduced on the line. With a travel time of two hours and 18 minutes the "Fliegender Hamburger" had an average speed of for the , between Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and Berlin Lehrter station. The "Fliegender Hamburger" was the world's fastest scheduled rail service. The majority of travellers still travelled in ordinary steam-hauled express trains with a travel time of three and a half to four hours. With the outbreak of World War II, military priorities meant that high-speed projects were abandoned.