LNER Class A4

class of 35 streamlined three-cylinder 4-6-2 steam locomotives

The LNER Class A4 was a type of steam locomotive made in England in 1935. It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the London North Eastern Railway. 35 locomotives were built in total.

LNER Class A4
60009 Union of South Africa in 1951
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerH. N. Gresley
BuilderLNER Doncaster Works
Build date1935–1938
Total produced35
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-6-2
 • UIC2'C1h
Gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Trailing dia.3 ft 8 in (1.118 m)
Loco weight102 tons 19 cwt (230,600 lb or 104.6 t)
Total weight167 tons 2 cwt (374,300 lb or 169.8 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity8 tons 0 cwt (17,900 lb or 8.1 t)
Water cap5,000 imperial gallons (23,000 L; 6,000 US gal)
Boiler pressure250 psi (1.72 MPa)
CylindersThree
Cylinder size18.5 in × 26 in (470 mm × 660 mm)
Loco brakeVacuum
Train brakesVacuum
60009, 60007 & 60019 have been fitted with air brakes[1]
Performance figures
Maximum speed90 miles per hour (140 km/h) in Regular Service (126.4 mph (203.4 km/h) maximum recorded)
Tractive effort35,455 lbf (157.71 kN)
Career
OperatorsLNER, BR
ClassA4
Power classBR: 8P6F
Number in class35
NumbersLNER: 2509–2512, 4462–4469, 4482–4500, 4900–4903,
LNER 1–34 (not in order),
BR: 60001–60034
Nicknames"Streak"
Withdrawn1942, 1962–1966
Disposition6 preserved
Three A4s that have been saved called 60009 Union of South Africa, 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and 60019 Bittern.

They were designed to be very fast and had a very sleek shape. One of them, 4468 "Mallard", is the fastest steam locomotive ever made. It set a world speed record of 126 mph (202.7 km/h) on July 3, 1938.

Six A4s still exist today. The rest were scrapped when steam stopped being used to power trains in Britain.

Sources

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  1. Fox, Peter; Hall, Peter & Pritchard, Robert (2007). Preserved Locomotives of British Railways (Twelfth edition). Platform 5, Sheffield. ISBN 978-1-902336-57-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Other websites

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