Bittern was built in 1937. It spent most of its working life on the East Coast mainline, particularly hauling the ‘Flying Scotsman’ service between King’s Cross and Newcastle. In November 1963 it was transferred to haul the services between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and has the distinction of pulling the last steam service between Glasgow and Aberdeen. It was withdrawn from service in September 1966 and was based in York for use on railtours. Following engine problems, it was housed at the Dinting Railway Centre, the Stephenson Railway Museum in Newcastle and the Great Central Railway before being sent in 2000 for complete overhaul and restoration. Bittern was steamed again in May of 2007 and has since worked on railtour duty. During this time it has been rebranded as 4492 Dominion of New Zealand, but has been returned to original name and number for the Mallard 75 celebrations. On 29 June 2013, the locomotive set a British speed record for a preserved steam locomotive at 92.5 miles per hour.
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