BR 4-6-2 'Sir Nigel Gresley' A4 Class

In 1937 the 100th Gresley Pacific was built by London and North Eastern Railway who paid reverence to its designer by giving the 4-6-2 locomotive his name. Originally numbered 4498, Sir Nigel Gresley was due to receive the name Bittern, before the realisation of its commemorative status. As with the earlier LNER A4 Pacifics, it was built with a single chimney and side valances covering the wheels which were later removed to improve maintenance access.

Sir Nigel Gresley carries a commemorative plaque as the holder of the post-war steam speed record reaching 112mph in May 1959. As with the Mallard’s record this was achieved descending southward from Stoke Summit, but unlike the Mallard’s special attempt this was with a full train of passengers returning from an excursion. As with other A4s, Sir Nigel Gresley has worn many liveries throughout its career. When released to traffic in October 1937 it carried the standard LNER garter blue of the A4 Pacifics and has since carried various liveries.

Sir Nigel Gresley, now bearing the British Railways number 60007 with a British Railways blue livery, was saved from scrapping in 1966 by a small group of men who set up the ‘A4 Preservation Society’, later known as ‘The A4 Locomotive Society Ltd’ and now ‘The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Preservation Trust Ltd’. ‘The A4 Locomotive Society’ has since become the subsidiary company that operates the locomotive for the Trust. The Trust is committed to keeping the locomotive operating and running special excursions on both the main line and heritage railways such as the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it is based.

• Scale:  1:120
• Length:  180mm

• Age Suitability:  14+