LNER 4-6-2 Pacific Locomotives
The LNER's Express Pacific designs were probably the most famous of the LNER locomotives. Even today, two of these engines (No. 4472 Flying Scotsman and No. 4468 Mallard) rank amongst the most famous steam locomotives ever built. Although the first locos emerged just before the Grouping, it was the LNER that perpetuated the type and, after the Great Western Railway (GWR) withdrew its solitary example in January 1924, the LNER was the only one of the 'Big Four' to employ Pacifics for almost a decade, building up a fleet of 75 for its top link express services before the London Midland Scottish (LMS) introduced its first 4-6-2 in July 1933. Eventually the LNER bequeathed some 139 Pacifics to British Rail in 1948, who also built a further 63 to LNER designs.
As well as these famous express locomotives, the LNER also had a number of Pacific tank locomotives.
4-6-2 Tender Locomotives
Class | Builder | Designer | First Built | Last Withdrawal | Comments |
A1 | GNR/LNER | Gresley | 1922 | 1948 | Renumbered as A10. All rebuilt as A3 |
A2 | NER/LNER | Raven | 1922 | 1937 | |
A3 | LNER | Gresley | 1927 | 1966 | |
A4 | LNER | Gresley | 1935 | 1966 | |
A1/1 | LNER | Thompson | 1945 | 1962 | Rebuild of A1 Great Northern |
A2/1 | LNER | Thompson | 1944 | 1961 | Development of the V2 |
A2/2 | LNER | Thompson | 1943 | 1961 | Rebuilt from the P2s |
A2/3 | LNER | Thompson | 1946 | 1965 | |
A10 | GNR/LNER | Gresley | 1922 | 1948 | Reclassification of A1. |
A1 | LNER/BR | Peppercorn | 1948 | 1966 | |
A2 | LNER/BR | Peppercorn | 1947 | 1966 |
4-6-2 Tank Locomotives
The tank version of the 4-6-2 predates the tender type, being introduced on the North Eastern Railway (NER) in 1911 for mineral traffic. Later designs on the Great Central Railway (GCR) and NER (the latter rebuilt from 4-6-0Ts) were for passenger services. A total of 51 were inherited by the LNER, who, besides adding a further 23 of the GCR design, rebuilt all 45 of the NER H1 4-4-4Ts as Pacific tanks. 117 locos were inherited by BR.
Class | Builder | Designer | First Built | Last Withdrawal | Comments |
A5 | GCR/LNER | Robinson | 1911 | 1958 | |
A6 | NER | W.Worsdell | 1907 | 1951 | |
A7 | NER | Raven | 1910 | 1957 | |
A8 | NER/LNER | Gresley | 1931 | 1960 | Gresley rebuild of the H1s |