Images Dated 6th May 1974

The ton-up tortoise. Macwattie became the fastest tortoise in Britain on Monday (6-5-74

The ton-up tortoise. Macwattie became the fastest tortoise in Britain on Monday (6-5-74) when he covered the 401 miles from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, in just five hours, reaching speeds of over 100 mph. Needless to say Macwattie, pictured on the track at London's Euston Station after his arrival, didn't make the trip under his own steam. He was a passenger on the inaugural run of the Royal Scot, one of British Rail's new "Electric Scots" trains. Complete electrification of the route has just been finished, and the new trains, which started service on Monday, are lopping an hour off the previous journey time for the West Coast main line. Macwattie the tortoise was being delivered to Chessington Zoo, Surrey. After his high speed run to London, Macwittie the tortoise tests his own speed on the welded track used by the new Electric Scots. May 1974 P000726

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