LNER Peppercorn Class A1
Encyclopedia
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...
(LNER) Peppercorn Class A1 is a type of express passenger steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. Forty-nine original Peppercorn Class A1s were built to the design of Arthur Peppercorn
Arthur Peppercorn
Arthur Henry Peppercorn, OBE was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.- Career :...
(who was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
(CME) of the London and North Eastern Railway
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...
) during the early British Railways era, but all were scrapped with the discontinuation of steam, with none of the original production run surviving into preservation. In 2008 a brand new 50th Peppercorn A1 locomotive, 60163 Tornado
LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado
60163 Tornado is a main-line steam locomotive built in Darlington, England. Completed in 2008, Tornado was the first such locomotive built in the United Kingdom since Evening Star, the last steam locomotive built by British Railways, in 1960...
, was completed.
Background
Most of the former LNER Class A1LNER Gresley Classes A1 and A3
The London and North Eastern Railway LNER Gresley Classes A1 and A3 locomotives represented two distinct stages in the history of the British 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley...
locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley had been rebuilt as LNER Class A3 locomotives prior to this class being conceived. The few straggling LNER Class A1 locomotives that remained unrebuilt during the tenure of Peppercorn's predecessor, Edward Thompson
Edward Thompson (engineer)
Edward Thompson was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway between 1941 and 1946.- Biography :Edward Thompson was the son of an assistant master at Marlborough College. He was educated at Marlborough before taking the Mechanical Science Tripos at Pembroke College,...
, were redesignated by him as Class A10s in preparation for the construction of his new Class A1 locomotives. Thompson rebuilt the pioneer LNER pacific Great Northern in 1945; originally this was the new Class A1, but the rebuild was not repeated. Instead, initiated by Thompson but largely taken forward by his successor Arthur Peppercorn
Arthur Peppercorn
Arthur Henry Peppercorn, OBE was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.- Career :...
, Great Northern was designated Class A1/1
LNER Thompson Class A1/1
The London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class A1/1 was started in 1945 when a Class A1 went into the works for rebuilding in to the A1/1....
, and a new class of Peppercorn A1s ordered.
The locomotives were designed to cope with the heaviest passenger trains in the after-war period on the East Coast Mainline (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– 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...
– Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
– Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
– Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
) which consisted normally of trains with up to 15 coaches and up to 550 tons. The ‘’’Peppercorn’’’ A1s were able to pull such a train on the flat at a speed of 60-70 mph (95-110 km/h). Like previous LNER pacifics, the class had a 3-cylinder arrangement. The chimney system
Blastpipe
The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.- History :...
was of the type Double-Kylchap
Kylchap
The Kylchap steam locomotive steam locomotive exhaust system was designed and patented by the famous French steam engineer André Chapelon, using a second-stage nozzle designed by the Finnish engineer Kyösti Kylälä and known as the Kylälä spreader; thus the name KylChap for this design.The Kylchap...
.
Construction
The new A1s were ordered by the LNER but delivered after that company had been nationalised to form part of British Railways at the start of 1948. The 49 engines were built at the Eastern Region'sEastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
Doncaster
Doncaster Works
Doncaster railway works is in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.Always referred to as "the Plant", it was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston and Peterborough...
and Darlington
Darlington Works
Darlington railway works, known in the town as North Road Shops, was built in 1863 by the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the town of Darlington in the north east of England.-NER History:The first new locomotive was built at the works in 1864...
works between 1948 and 1949. Some of the dimensions in the information box on the right are taken from the LNER Encyclopedia. The figures for boiler pressure and cylinder and driving wheel dimensions are confirmed by Ian Allan ABC
Ian Allan Publishing
Ian Allan Publishing is a UK publisher, established in 1942, which specialises in transport magazines and books.In 1942 Ian Allan, then working on enquiries on the Southern Railway, published his first book, "ABC of Southern Locomotives"...
but there is a minor disagreement on weight (Ian Allan gives: locomotive 104 tons 2 cwt, tender 60 tons 7 cwt).
| Nos | Date built | Works | Order no. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60114-22 | 1948 | Doncaster | 382 | |
| 60123 | 1949 | Doncaster | ||
| 60124-9 | 1949 | Doncaster | 383 | |
| 60130-43 | 1948 | Darlington | — | |
| 60144-52 | 1949 | Darlington | — | |
| 60153-7 | 1949 | Doncaster | 388 | Built with Timken Timken Timken may refer to:* Timken, Kansas, a small town in the United States* Timken 1111, 4-8-4 steam locomotive built in 1930* Timken Company, a manufacturer of industrial parts* Timken High School, in Canton, Ohio, United States... roller bearings on all axles |
| 60158-62 | 1949 | Doncaster |
Service
Above all though the A1s were renowned for their reliability. By 1961 the class had accumulated 48000000 miles (77,248,320 km), equivalent to 202 miles (325.1 km) per locomotive each calendar day. These were unmatched by any other steam locomotive on British Railways. Some of the best performances were put in by Nos 60153-57, which in a move to increase distance between general repairs were fitted with roller bearing axleboxes. Between 1949 and 1961 this quintet totalled 4800000 miles (7,724,832 km) with an average distance between works overhauls of 120,000. In a single year No 60156 Great Central of Kings Cross ran 96000 miles (154,496.6 km).If there was one drawback to the Peppercorn A1 it was its riding. There were wide variations between individual class members with some very rough indeed. The cause apart from the inevitable axlebox wear lay in the leading bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
. This was the same as that fitted to the LNER Thompson Class B1
LNER Thompson Class B1
The London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson.- Overview :...
but no adjustments were made at the design stage to tailor it for the heavier A1. Changes to the loading of the bogie side control springs usually brought the riding up to a level comparable with other express types.
Withdrawal
By summer of 1966 all 49 class members had gone for scrap. The last to be withdrawn from stock was No. 60145 Saint Mungo after a working life of just 17 years. An attempt to save the locomotive for preservation came to naught.| Year | No. withdrawn | Nos |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 6 | 60115/22/23/35/37/53 |
| 1963 | 6 | 60136/44/59-62 |
| 1964 | 11 | 60114/9/20/5/39/41/3/7/9/50/8 |
| 1965 | 24 | 60116-8/21/26-34/38/40/2/6/8/51/2/4-7 |
| 1966 | 2 | 60124/45 |
List of original locomotives
Below is a list of original Peppercorn A1 Locomotives| No. | Name | Built | Works | Withdrawn | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60114 | W.P. Allen | August 1948 | Doncaster | December 1964 | |
| 60115 | Meg Merrilies | September 1948 | Doncaster | November 1962 | |
| 60116 | Hal o' the Wynd | October 1948 | Doncaster | June 1965 | |
| 60117 | Bois Roussel | October 1948 | Doncaster | June 1965 | |
| 60118 | Archibald Sturrock Archibald Sturrock Archibald Sturrock was a Scottish mechanical engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the Great Northern Railway from 1850 until c. 1866, having from 1840 been Daniel Gooch's assistant on the Great Western Railway.... |
November 1948 | Doncaster | October 1965 | |
| 60119 | Patrick Stirling Patrick Stirling Patrick Stirling was Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway.His father Robert Stirling was also an engineer. His brother James Stirling was also a locomotive engineer... |
November 1948 | Doncaster | May 1964 | |
| 60120 | | Kittiwake Kittiwake The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R... |
December 1948 | Doncaster | January 1964 | |
| 60121 | Silurian | December 1948 | Doncaster | October 1965 | |
| 60122 | Curlew Curlew The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills... |
December 1948 | Doncaster | December 1962 | |
| 60123 | H.A. Ivatt | February 1949 | Doncaster | October 1962 | |
| 60124 | Kenilworth Kenilworth (novel) Kenilworth. A Romance is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published on 8 January 1821.-Plot introduction:Kenilworth is apparently set in 1575, and centers on the secret marriage of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Amy Robsart, daughter of Sir Hugh Robsart... |
March 1949 | Doncaster | March 1966 | |
| 60125 | Scottish Union | April 1949 | Doncaster | July 1964 | |
| 60126 | Sir Vincent Raven Vincent Raven Sir Vincent Litchfield Raven KBE was chief mechanical engineer of the North Eastern Railway from 1910 to 1922.- Biography :... |
April 1949 | Doncaster | January 1965 | |
| 60127 | Wilson Worsdell Wilson Worsdell Wilson Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway from 1890 to 1910. He was the younger brother of T.W. Worsdell.-Family:... |
May 1949 | Doncaster | June 1965 | |
| 60128 | Bongrace | May 1949 | Doncaster | January 1965 | |
| 60129 | Guy Mannering Guy Mannering Guy Mannering or The Astrologer is a novel by Sir Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1815. According to an introduction that Scott wrote in 1829, he had originally intended to write a story of the supernatural, but changed his mind soon after starting... |
June 1949 | Doncaster | October 1965 | |
| 60130 | Kestrel Kestrel The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects... |
September 1948 | Darlington | October 1965 | |
| 60131 | Osprey Osprey The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings... |
October 1948 | Darlington | October 1965 | |
| 60132 | Marmion | October 1948 | Darlington | June 1965 | |
| 60133 | Pommern | October 1948 | Darlington | June 1965 | |
| 60134 | Foxhunter Foxhunter Foxhunter was a champion show jumping horse ridden by Harry Llewellyn, best known for their part in securing Great Britain's only gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics .... |
November 1948 | Darlington | October 1965 | |
| 60135 | Madge Wildfire | November 1948 | Darlington | November 1962 | |
| 60136 | Alcazar | November 1948 | Darlington | May 1963 | |
| 60137 | Redgauntlet Redgauntlet Redgauntlet is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Dumfries, Scotland in 1765, and described by Magnus Magnusson as "in a sense, the most autobiographical of Scott's novels." It describes the beginnings of a fictional third Jacobite Rebellion, and includes "Wandering Willie's Tale", a... |
December 1948 | Darlington | October 1962 | |
| 60138 | Boswell | December 1948 | Darlington | October 1965 | |
| 60139 | Sea Eagle Sea Eagle Sea eagle mainly refers to Sea eagle, birds of prey of the genus Haliaeetus.It may also refer to:-Aerospace:* Sea Eagle , British, anti-ship missile* Sea Eagle * Supermarine Sea Eagle, 1920s British passenger flying boat-Sports:... |
December 1948 | Darlington | June 1964 | |
| 60140 | Balmoral Balmoral Castle Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her... |
December 1948 | Darlington | January 1965 | |
| 60141 | Abbotsford Abbotsford House Abbotsford is a historic house in the region of the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed. It was formerly the residence of historical novelist and poet, Walter Scott... |
December 1948 | Darlington | October 1964 | |
| 60142 | Edward Fletcher Edward Fletcher (engineer) Edward Fletcher was a British engineer, and locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway . He was born in Northumberland.-Career:... |
February 1949 | Darlington | June 1965 | |
| 60143 | Sir Walter Scott Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time.... |
February 1949 | Darlington | May 1964 | |
| 60144 | King's Courier | March 1949 | Darlington | April 1963 | |
| 60145 | Saint Mungo Saint Mungo Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern... |
March 1949 | Darlington | June 1966 | |
| 60146 | Peregrine | April 1949 | Darlington | October 1965 | |
| 60147 | North Eastern North Eastern Railway (UK) The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923... |
April 1949 | Darlington | August 1964 | |
| 60148 | Aboyeur | May 1949 | Darlington | June 1965 | |
| 60149 | Amadis | May 1949 | Darlington | June 1964 | |
| 60150 | Willbrook | June 1949 | Darlington | October 1964 | |
| 60151 | Midlothian Midlothian Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas.... |
June 1949 | Darlington | November 1965 | |
| 60152 | Holyrood Holyrood Palace The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The palace stands at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle... |
July 1949 | Darlington | June 1965 | |
| 60153 | Flamboyant | August 1949 | Doncaster | November 1962 | |
| 60154 | Bon Accord | September 1949 | Doncaster | October 1965 | |
| 60155 | Borderer | September 1949 | Doncaster | October 1965 | |
| 60156 | Great Central Great Central Railway The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern... |
October 1949 | Doncaster | May 1965 | |
| 60157 | Great Eastern Great Eastern Railway The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia... |
November 1949 | Doncaster | January 1965 | |
| 60158 | Aberdonian | November 1949 | Doncaster | December 1964 | |
| 60159 | Bonnie Dundee Bonnie Dundee Bonnie Dundee is a poem and a song about John Graham, 7th Laird of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee who was known by this nickname. The song has been used as a regimental march by several Scottish regiments in the British Army and was adapted by Confederate troops in the American Civil... |
November 1949 | Doncaster | October 1963 | |
| 60160 | Auld Reekie | December 1949 | Doncaster | December 1963 | |
| 60161 | North British North British Railway The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:... |
December 1949 | Doncaster | October 1963 | |
| 60162 | Saint Johnstoun | December 1949 | Doncaster | October 1963 |
No. 60163 Tornado
Models
Bachmann BranchlineBachmann Branchline
Bachmann Branchline is a brand name of Bachmann Industries used for British outline 00 gauge model railways.Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchased by Kader Industries in 1987. Kader had previously produced models for Palitoy under the 'Mainline' brand...
produce a model in OO gauge
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale model railways are the most popular standard-gauge model railway tracks in the U.K. This track gauge is one of several 4mm-scale standards used, but it is the only one to be served by the major manufacturers...
. Other suppliers have produced detailed drawings.
Hornby
Hornby
- Australia :* Hornby Lighthouse, third oldest lighthouse in Australia on south head of Sydney Harbour,- Canada :* Hornby, Ontario, community in Halton Hills* Hornby Island, Canadian island in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver Island- England :...
have announced that they will be producing a OO gauge
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale model railways are the most popular standard-gauge model railway tracks in the U.K. This track gauge is one of several 4mm-scale standards used, but it is the only one to be served by the major manufacturers...
model of Tornado in two different liveries. There will be one version in the main (highly detailed) range and one in the "railroad" range (Hornby's cheaper range, intended to appeal to the younger modeller). There will also be a version in BR Brunswick green with the early BR Totem, but available only as part of a set.