LNER Class A4 4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood
Encyclopedia
LNER Class A4 No.4469 Sir Ralph Wedgwood was an A4 Class
locomotive of the LNER
. Originally named Gadwall, it was later renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood, after the chief officer of LNER for 16 years.
The locomotive, along with B16 class No. 925, were damaged beyond repair during a Baedeker Blitz
air raid on York
on the night of 28/29 April 1942. The remains of the locomotive were scrapped at Doncaster. 4469's chime whistle was fitted to LNER Class Y8 engine #560. The tender was stored until 1945, then repaired and attached to LNER Thompson Class A2/1
No. 3696.
A plaque was placed on the spot, now within the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum
, by the Gresley Society on 29 April 1992, the 50th anniversary of the raid.
LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive, designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognizable, and one of the class, 4468 Mallard, still claims the...
locomotive of the LNER
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
. Originally named Gadwall, it was later renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood, after the chief officer of LNER for 16 years.
The locomotive, along with B16 class No. 925, were damaged beyond repair during a Baedeker Blitz
Baedeker Blitz
The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of Vergeltungsangriffe by the German air force on English cities in response to the bombing of the erstwhile Hanseatic League city of Lübeck during the night from 28 to 29 March 1942 during World War II.-Background:Lübeck was bombed on the night...
air raid on York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
on the night of 28/29 April 1942. The remains of the locomotive were scrapped at Doncaster. 4469's chime whistle was fitted to LNER Class Y8 engine #560. The tender was stored until 1945, then repaired and attached to LNER Thompson Class A2/1
LNER Thompson Class A2/1
The London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class A2/1 was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives. They were originally ordered as Class V2 locomotives, as designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, but were revised during construction into a 4-6-2 'Pacific' arrangement under the instruction of Edward Thompson...
No. 3696.
A plaque was placed on the spot, now within the Great Hall of the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
, by the Gresley Society on 29 April 1992, the 50th anniversary of the raid.
In fiction
In the Youtube series "The British Railway Series", episode 10 (The Legacy of Gadwall) is entirely devoted to the story of Gadwall.External links
- Photo and information
- The Gresley A4 Pacifics, LNER Encyclopedia