LNER Class A4

The London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 was a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley and introduced in 1935 to haul the Silver Jubilee express between London King's Cross and Newcastle. Gresley took the A3 Pacific as his starting point after trials in which No. 2750 Papyrus reached 108 mph, and gave it a streamlined casing, internal streamlining of the steam circuit, higher boiler pressure and a longer firebox forming a combustion chamber, which cut coal and water consumption. Thirty-five were built, the first four named with the word silver, and further engines followed for the Coronation and West Riding Limited services of 1937. One of the class, No. 4468 Mallard, set the world speed record for steam of 126 mph on 3 July 1938. The class worked the East Coast Main Line until the early 1960s, the last in service were withdrawn in September 1966, and six have been preserved.