The LNER Encyclopedia

Malcolm sets me some posers on this site, the latest one being the picture of Aerolite the celebrity officers saloon engine. I will attempt to put a series of photographs and a potted history of this loco together so we can see the loco through many of its incarnations as i think Malcolm has got his description of the photo in his excellent set of NER pictures slightly wrong. Please bear with me till later on this one as a certain 4-6-0 is calling me to watch the sport on sky.

As promised a potted history of Aerolite. Originally built as a 2-2-2T by Kitsons and displayed at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 later purchased by the Leeds Northen Railway.
In 1868 it was involved in a crash at Otterington whilst conveying the Locomotive Superintendent Edward Fletcher It was decided not to repair the engine and a replacement was built at Gateshead works in 1869 carrying original nameplates.
In 1886 it was rebuilt by T.W. Wordsell as a 2-2-2 side tank with nameplates removed.
The engine was rebuilt as a 4-2-2 by W Wordsell in 1892.
The final rebuild was to a 2-2-4T in 1902 carrying incorrect build information these were replaced before the engine was displayed in the LNER museum at Queen Street, York in 1934. I am not sure when the nameplates were restored to her but in the 1950s the originals were discovered and put on display in York Museum.

Wow, it looked interesting as a 4-2-2