Top 100

Fastest steam locomotives

In the 1930s, railways competed to run the fastest steam-hauled express trains, often with streamlined locomotives. The official record is held by the LNER A4 “Mallard”, which reached 202.6 km/h (126 mph) in England in 1938.

The speeds below are the maximum speeds given in each class's specifications. They can differ from the speeds reached during individual record runs.

Rank	Model	Type	Built	Top speed
1	4-8-4 Baldwin	Steam locomotive	1943–1944	190 km/h118 mph
2	S 36.20 RAW Meiningen	Steam locomotive	–	180 km/h112 mph
3	DB 01.10 BMAG	Steam locomotive	1975	150 km/h93 mph
4	DRB 01.10 Schwartzkopff	Steam locomotive	–	150 km/h93 mph
5	NSW C36 Clyde Engineering, NSWGR	Steam locomotive	1925	150 km/h93 mph
6	DR 03.10 Borsig, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp	Steam locomotive	1939–1941	140 km/h87 mph
7	SNCB 12000 Cockerill	Steam locomotive	–	140 km/h87 mph
8	BR 01 AEG, BMAG, Borsig, Henschel, Krupp	Steam locomotive	1926–1938	130 km/h81 mph
9	Pm3 Borsig	Steam locomotive	1939–1941	130 km/h81 mph
10	SNCF 231 K 2-86 ANF, Henschel, SACM	Steam locomotive	1912–1921	130 km/h81 mph
11	CFR 231 Henschel, Maffei	Steam locomotive	1913–1923	126 km/h78 mph
12	P36 KTZ	Steam locomotive	1953–1956	125 km/h78 mph
13	4-8-2 Schneider	Steam locomotive	–	120 km/h75 mph
14	Bavarian S 3/6 Maffei	Steam locomotive	1908–1931	120 km/h75 mph
15	BDZh 05 Krupp	Steam locomotive	1935	120 km/h75 mph
16	CP 501-508 Henschel	Steam locomotive	1925	120 km/h75 mph
17	CP 551-560 Henschel	Steam locomotive	1924	120 km/h75 mph
18	DR 03.0-2 Borsig	Steam locomotive	1930–1937	120 km/h75 mph
19	S 685 Ansaldo, Breda	Steam locomotive	1931–1934	120 km/h75 mph
20	241F.2201-2257 MTM	Steam locomotive	1944–1952	115 km/h71 mph
21	RZD U LKZ	Steam locomotive	1906–1912	115 km/h71 mph
22	Su BMZ, HZTM, KTZ, Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	1924	115 km/h71 mph
23	4-6-2 Baldwin	Steam locomotive	1947–1967	110 km/h68 mph
24	241 A Schneider	Steam locomotive	–	110 km/h68 mph
25	685 Breda, CEMSA, OM	Steam locomotive	1912–1915	110 km/h68 mph
26	DB 23 Henschel, Jung, Krupp, ME	Steam locomotive	1950–1959	110 km/h68 mph
27	DRG 23 Schichau-Werke	Steam locomotive	1941	110 km/h68 mph
28	NS 3700 Beyer & Peacock, Hanomag, Henschel, Werkspoor	Steam locomotive	1910–1928	110 km/h68 mph
29	P8 FAUR, Resita	Steam locomotive	1932–1939	110 km/h68 mph
30	Pt47 Cegielski, Fablok	Steam locomotive	1948–1951	110 km/h68 mph
31	UP 4-6-6-4 ALCo	Steam locomotive	1936–1944	110 km/h68 mph
32	VR Hr1 Lokomo, Tampella	Steam locomotive	1937–1957	110 km/h68 mph
33	SNCF 230D SACM	Steam locomotive	1897–1913	105 km/h65 mph
34	141R ALCo, Baldwin, CLC, Lima, MLW	Steam locomotive	–	100 km/h62 mph
35	BDZh 03 Henschel	Steam locomotive	1941–1942	100 km/h62 mph
36	BDZh 36 Krupp	Steam locomotive	1943	100 km/h62 mph
37	FS 552 Ansaldo, Breda	Steam locomotive	1890–1901	100 km/h62 mph
38	Gr640 BMAG, Breda, CEMSA	Steam locomotive	1907–1911	100 km/h62 mph
39	JNR C61 Mitsubishi, Nippon Sharyo	Steam locomotive	1947–1949	100 km/h62 mph
40	kkStB 310 BMMF, Floridsdorf, StEG, Wr. Neustadt	Steam locomotive	1911–1916	100 km/h62 mph
41	Ol49 Fablok	Steam locomotive	1951–1954	100 km/h62 mph
42	Prussian P 8 BMAG, Linke-Hofmann	Steam locomotive	1906–1923	100 km/h62 mph
43	Prussian T 18 Vulcan	Steam locomotive	1912–1927	100 km/h62 mph
44	NZR WAB A & G Price, NZR	Steam locomotive	1939	97 km/h60 mph
45	Victorian D3 class VR Newport Workshops	Steam locomotive	–	96 km/h60 mph
46	JNR 8620 Hitachi, Kawasaki, Mitsubishi, Nippon Sharyo	Steam locomotive	1914–1929	95 km/h59 mph
47	VR Hv1 Lokomo	Steam locomotive	1915–1921	95 km/h59 mph
48	2-8-2 (BDZh) SLM	Steam locomotive	–	90 km/h56 mph
49	141 TB Blanc-Misseron	Steam locomotive	1910–1917	90 km/h56 mph
50	141 TC Fives	Steam locomotive	1922	90 km/h56 mph
51	DB 42 BMAG, Borsig, Esslingen, Henschel, Jung, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp, Orenstein & Koppel, Schichau-Werke	Steam locomotive	1937–1941	90 km/h56 mph
52	DR 41 RAW Karl-Marx-Stadt, RAW Zwickau	Steam locomotive	1937–1941	90 km/h56 mph
53	DR 65.10 LEW, LKM	Steam locomotive	1954–1957	90 km/h56 mph
54	DRB 41 BMAG, Borsig, Esslingen, Henschel, Jung, Krauss-Maffei, Krupp, Orenstein & Koppel, Schichau-Werke	Steam locomotive	1937–1941	90 km/h56 mph
55	DRG 24 Borsig, Hanomag, Henschel, Krupp, Schichau-Werke	Steam locomotive	1928–1939	90 km/h56 mph
56	DRG 64 DRG	Steam locomotive	1928–1940	90 km/h56 mph
57	DRG 75.10-11 Jung, Karlsruhe	Steam locomotive	1914–1921	90 km/h56 mph
58	S Motala	Steam locomotive	1917	90 km/h56 mph
59	SB/DV 109 Floridsdorf, StEG, Wr. Neustadt	Steam locomotive	1910–1930	90 km/h56 mph
60	SFT 0-6-0 Brassey & Co	Steam locomotive	1869	90 km/h56 mph
61	SJ A Motala, NOHAB	Steam locomotive	1906–1909	90 km/h56 mph
62	SJ Aa 75 Beyer & Peacock	Steam locomotive	1886	90 km/h56 mph
63	SJ B NOHAB	Steam locomotive	1908–1944	90 km/h56 mph
64	Sj Sb Motala	Steam locomotive	1917	90 km/h56 mph
65	10 43 E 93 Baldwin	Steam locomotive	1916	89 km/h55 mph
66	CFR 151 FAUR	Steam locomotive	–	85 km/h53 mph
67	CR FD Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	1931–1941	85 km/h53 mph
68	CR JS CRRC Beijing, CRRC Dalian, CRRC Datong, CRRC Qishuyan	Steam locomotive	1957–1988	85 km/h53 mph
69	D51 Hitachi, Kawasaki, Nippon Sharyo	Steam locomotive	1936–1951	85 km/h53 mph
70	DB 65 Krauss-Maffei	Steam locomotive	1951–1956	85 km/h53 mph
71	FD20 Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	1931–1942	85 km/h53 mph
72	SB 629 Krauss, StEG	Steam locomotive	1913–1928	85 km/h53 mph
73	4-8-8-4 ALCo	Steam locomotive	1941	80 km/h50 mph
74	CR JF ALCo, CRRC Dalian, CRRC Qingdao Sifang, Hitachi, Kawasaki	Steam locomotive	–	80 km/h50 mph
75	CR QJ CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, CRRC Dalian, CRRC Datong, CRRC Tangshan, Mudanjiang, Shenyang	Steam locomotive	1956–1988	80 km/h50 mph
76	CR SY CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, CRRC Qingdao Sifang, CRRC Tangshan, Jinan, Tongling	Steam locomotive	1962–1999	80 km/h50 mph
77	DR 52.80 RAW Stendal	Steam locomotive	1960–1967	80 km/h50 mph
78	DR 86 BMAG, Borsig, Esslingen, Floridsdorf, Friedrich Krupp, Henschel, LHW, MBG Karlsruhe, Orenstein & Koppel, Schichau-Werke	Steam locomotive	1928–1943	80 km/h50 mph
79	DRB 42 @various	Steam locomotive	1943–1949	80 km/h50 mph
80	DRB 50 DR	Steam locomotive	1939–1948	80 km/h50 mph
81	DRB 52 DRG	Steam locomotive	1942–1950	80 km/h50 mph
82	DRG 44 DRG	Steam locomotive	1926–1949	80 km/h50 mph
83	FS 625 BMAG	Steam locomotive	1910–1922	80 km/h50 mph
84	FS 744 Ansaldo, Breda, OM	Steam locomotive	1928–1929	80 km/h50 mph
85	kkStB 429 Floridsdorf, StEG, Wr. Neustadt	Steam locomotive	–	80 km/h50 mph
86	L BMZ, KTZ, Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	–	80 km/h50 mph
87	LV Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	1952–1956	80 km/h50 mph
88	Prussian T 11 Borsig, Union	Steam locomotive	1903–1910	80 km/h50 mph
89	Prussian T 12 Borsig, Union	Steam locomotive	1902–1921	80 km/h50 mph
90	RZD OR18 Luhanskteplovoz	Steam locomotive	1951–1954	80 km/h50 mph
91	RZD TE DRG	Steam locomotive	1942–1950	80 km/h50 mph
92	SJ S1 NOHAB	Steam locomotive	1952–1953	80 km/h50 mph
93	SNCF 130B CF de l Est	Steam locomotive	1909–1926	80 km/h50 mph
94	TKt48 Cegielski, Fablok	Steam locomotive	1950–1957	80 km/h50 mph
95	Tr1 Lokomo, Tampella	Steam locomotive	1940–1957	80 km/h50 mph
96	VR A5 VR	Steam locomotive	1874	80 km/h50 mph
97	Eb 2/4 Esslingen	Steam locomotive	1891	75 km/h47 mph
98	Eb 3/5 Maffei, SLM	Steam locomotive	1911–1916	75 km/h47 mph
99	FS 880 Ansaldo, Breda, OM, SNOS	Steam locomotive	1916–1922	75 km/h47 mph
100	IR YP TELCO	Steam locomotive	–	75 km/h47 mph

Figures come from public sources and may contain errors; obviously inconsistent values are excluded.

Fastest steam locomotives

Top 3

4-8-4

S 36.20

DB 01.10

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