120
Source: Classic Trains
I’ll say 90. Because no steamer has ran faster than the Malard in England which I think was like 120 MPH or something.
The Mallard went 126 MPH during braking trials, and though this is the worldrecord, it was set on a downhill, and the French didn’t like that…they had one that went 125 on a flat.
But I said 120, it seems fitting…
90
Even though I am guessing it cruised at 90, speedometers would generally read much higher than a vehicle can go. 120 would probably be a reasonable maximum to put on the gauge, so they probably set the top of the scale to 150 for “impression” value.
120
The Hudson Hiawatha is reputed to have made an early run clocking 120 MPH average. I don’t however recall that steam locos had speedometers ??? I know that most engineers on the old steam at least used there watches, two mileposts and some math to calculate the speed of the train.
Although they regularly exceded it, the speedometer pegged out at 120 mph; leaving historians to forever wonder just how fast could they really go.
T’is a trick question. What speedometer?