GNR Class O2

The Great Northern Railway Class O2 was a class of three-cylinder 2-8-0 steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley for freight work. The first engine, No. 461, was built in May 1918 under Great Northern ownership, a batch of ten more followed from the North British Locomotive Company in 1921, and the London and North Eastern Railway built further examples from 1924. After the 1923 Grouping fifteen more were built, sixteen were delivered in 1932 and 1933, and wartime requirements produced 25 more between 1942 and 1943. The LNER created four sub-classes, O2/1 to O2/4, with changes such as a side-window cab, reduced boiler mountings and, from 1943, rebuilding with a B1-type boiler. All 67 engines passed to British Railways in 1948 as 63921 to 63987, hauled coal and iron ore trains across the former LNER, and had all been scrapped by the end of 1963.