LNER Peppercorn Class A2

60535 Hornets Beauty at Gainsborough Central railway station

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	Arthur Peppercorn
Builder	Doncaster Works
Build date	1947–1948
Total produced	15

Specifications
Configuration	4-6-2
UIC class	2′C1′ h3
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.	38 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.	74 in (1.880 m)
Trailing dia.	44 in (1.118 m)
Wheelbase	60 ft 6 in (18.44 m)
Length	(?)
Axle load	22 long tons (22.4 t; 24.6 short tons)
Loco weight	101 long tons (102.6 t; 113.1 short tons)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	9 long tons (9.1 t; 10.1 short tons)
Water cap	5,000 imp gal (23,000 L; 6,000 US gal)
Firebox: • Firegrate area	50 sq ft (4.6 m²)
Boiler pressure	250 psi (1.72 MPa) superheated
Heating surface: • Tubes	1,212 sq ft (112.6 m²)
• Flues	1,005 sq ft (93.4 m²)
• Firebox	245 sq ft (22.8 m²)
Superheater:
• Heating area	680 sq ft (63 m²)
Cylinders	Three
Cylinder size	19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Valve type	10-inch (254 mm) piston valves

Performance figures
Tractive effort	40,430 lbf (179.84 kN)

Career
Operators	LNER » BR
Class	LNER: A2
Power class	BR: 8P7F
Axle load class	Route Availability 9
Disposition	One preserved; remainder scrapped

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn Class A2 is a class of steam locomotive designed for express passenger work by Arthur Peppercorn, the chief designer of the LNER after Edward Thompson. All save the first of the 15 built were constructed under British Railways after nationalisation in 1948.

Construction

The first of the Peppercorn A2s No.525 A.H.Peppercorn was outshopped from Doncaster in December 1947 on the eve of nationalisation, and named after the designer of the class, Arthur Peppercorn. The modernity of the design was immediately apparent. The first two of the class were turned out in LNER apple green livery and this colour was also applied to the next 13 engines delivered between January and August 1948. Repainting in British Railways Brunswick green began the following year.

LNER 1946 Nos	BR Nos	Year
525	60525	1947
526–531	60526–31	1948
—	60532–39	1948

The design was a move towards modernity, with features such as a self-cleaning smoke-box and electric lighting. Initially the Self Cleaning apparatus caused steaming troubles when combined with a single chimney, but changes to the draughting, notably the inclusion of Double Kylchap Blastpipe brought about the free steaming capability along with the convenience of less frequent smoke-box cleaning. Some A2's retained their single chimneys, though the Double Blastpipe did bring about notable free running on the A2's to which it was fitted, as well as an improvement in fuel economy.

The 50 sq ft grate of the A2's, a nod to the P2 lineage of both the Thompson and Peppercorn boilers, meant the A2's were capable of high power and endurance, however, with the exception of the Aberdeen road, there was little need for this large grate firebox in the postwar era, and as a result, on comparable duties the A2's were heavier on fuel than the Gresley machines which pre-dated them, but for outright power and haulage capability, they were the logical successor to the P2 class, and finally provided the answer the Edinburgh-Aberdeen route required. As a result, they were amongst the last multi-cylindered express steam locomotive classes to remain in service in the UK.

Stock list

Only No. 525 was technically built during LNER ownership, but 526-31 received LNER 1946 numbers. From 60532 onwards, the A2s received BR numbers from new, BR numbers being the LNER 1946 numbers with the addition of 60000. With the exception of no. 525, named after the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LNER, they were named after racehorses.

LNER No.	BR No.	Name	Entered Service	Withdrawn
525	60525	A. H. Peppercorn	000000001947-12-01-0000December 1947	000000001963-03-01-0000March 1963
526	60526	Sugar Palm	000000001948-01-01-0000January 1948	000000001962-11-01-0000November 1962
527	60527	Sun Chariot	000000001948-01-01-0000January 1948	000000001965-04-01-0000April 1965
528	60528	Tudor Minstrel	000000001948-02-01-0000February 1948	000000001966-06-01-0000June 1966
529	60529	Pearl Diver	000000001948-02-01-0000February 1948	000000001962-12-01-0000December 1962
530	60530	Sayajirao	000000001948-03-01-0000March 1948	000000001966-11-01-0000November 1966
531	60531	Bahram	000000001948-03-01-0000March 1948	000000001962-12-01-0000December 1962
—	60532	Blue Peter	000000001948-03-01-0000March 1948	000000001966-12-01-0000December 1966
—	60533	Happy Knight	000000001948-04-01-0000April 1948	000000001963-06-01-0000June 1963
—	60534	Irish Elegance	000000001948-04-01-0000April 1948	000000001962-12-01-0000December 1962
—	60535	Hornets Beauty	000000001948-05-01-0000May 1948	000000001965-06-01-0000June 1965
—	60536	Trimbush	000000001948-05-01-0000May 1948	000000001962-12-01-0000December 1962
—	60537	Bachelors Button	000000001948-06-01-0000June 1948	000000001962-12-01-0000December 1962
—	60538	Velocity	000000001948-06-01-0000June 1948	000000001962-11-01-0000November 1962
—	60539	Bronzino	000000001948-08-01-0000August 1948	000000001962-11-01-0000November 1962

Service

Initially the A2s were based at depots the length of the East Coast Main Line, ranging from New England (Peterborough) in the south to Edinburgh's Haymarket. In 1949 five were put to work on the Edinburgh-Dundee-Aberdeen route and proved the ideal engines for its stiff gradients and sharp curvature. The A2s also worked to Perth, Glasgow, Carlisle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and occasionally more southerly outposts. In 1963 Nos.60525, 60530 and 60535 surprisingly crossed the LNER-LMSR divide and were allocated to a Glasgow depot, Polmadie. They replaced ex-LMS Coronation Class over the ex-Caledonian Railway route to Carlisle.

The swansong of the A2 came in eastern Scotland with many memorable performances over the Aberdeen road during the early 1960s. In 1961 on Stoke bank in Lincolnshire, the location of Mallard's 1938 world speed record, No.60526 Sugar Palm achieved 101 mph (163 km/h). Withdrawal of this fine class of locomotive began in the following year. Neither 60526 nor No.60525 A. H. Peppercorn, named after the third and last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway, were preserved.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal occurred between 1962 and 1966. The last three 60528 Tudor Minstrel, 60530 Sayajirao and 60532 Blue Peter were retired in June 1966.

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers
1962	15	8	60526/29/31/34/36–39
1963	7	2	60525/33
1964	5	0	—
1965	5	2	60527/35
1966	3	3	60528/30/32

Preservation

Main article: LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter

One Peppercorn A2, 60532 Blue Peter, has survived.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNER Peppercorn Class A2.

Boddy, M. G.; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W. B. (April 1973). Fry, E. V., ed. Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2A: Tender Engines—Classes A1 to A10. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-25-8.
Yeadon, W. B. (1991). Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives, Volume 3: Raven, Thompson & Peppercorn Pacifics. Irwell Press.

External links

London and North Eastern Railway locomotives

Pre-grouping railway designs:

Great Central:	A5 B1/B18 B2/B19 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 C4 C5 C13 C14 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 E2 E3 E8 F1 F2 G3 J8 J9 J10 J11 J12 J13 J58 J59 J60 J61 J62 J63 L1/L3 M1 N4 N5 N6 O4 O5 Q4 S1 X4 Y2

Great Eastern:	B12 D13 D14 D15 D16 E4 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 G4 J14 J15 J16 J17 J18 J19 J20 J65 J66 J67 J68 J69 J70 N7 Y4 Y5 Y6 Z4/J92

Great North of Scotland:	D38 D39 D40 D41 D42 D43 D44 D45 D46 D47 D48 G10 J90 J91 Z4 Z5

Great Northern:	A1 C1 C2 C12 D1 D2 D3 D4 E1 G1 G2 J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 J50 J51 J52 J53 J54 J55 J56 J57 K1 K2 K3 N1 N2 O1 O2 Q1 Q2 Q3 R1

North British:	C10 C11 C15 C16 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D50 D51 E7 G7 G8 G9 J31 J32 J33 J34 J35 J36 J37 J81 J82 J83 J84 J85 J86 J88 N14 N15 Y9 Y10

North Eastern:	A2 A6 A7 B13 B14 B15 B16 C6 C7 C8 D17/1 D17/2 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 E5 E6 F8 G5 G6 H1 J21 J22 J24 J25 J26 J27 J71 J72 J73 J74 J76 J77 J78 J79 N8 N9 N10 Q5 Q6 Q7 T1 X1 X2 X3 Y7 Y8 EB1 EE1 EF1 ES1

North Eastern (ex Hull & Barnsley)	D24 J23 J28 J75 J80 N11 N12 N13 Q10

LNER designs:

Gresley (1923–1941):	A1 A3 A4 A8 B17 D49 J38 J39 J50 K4 P1 P2 U1 V1 V2 V3 V4 W1 EM1

Thompson (1941–1946):	A1 A2/1 A2/2 A2/3 B1 B2 K1 K5 L1 O1 Q1

Peppercorn (1946–1947):	A1 A2 K1

Other designs:

Proposed designs:

P10 2-8-2T (Nov 1929)
B 4-6-0 (Nov 1936)
? 4-8-2 (1939)
Q 0-8-0 (June 1930)
D 4-4-0 (1943)
? 4-8-4 (Feb 1946)
? 4-8-2 (Feb 1946)
K 2-6-0 (Aug 1947)

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