Number of Images on this Page = 24


The A4 class of the London and North Eastern Railway

I said above that Flying Scotsman must be the most famous steam locomotive of all, but Mallard would give her a run for her money. There is something about the shape of the A4s that set them apart. Even though they were not the shape of things to come (as thought in the 1930s), they somehow blended the aesthetics of classic steam locomotive design with a futuristic look. I remember owning a Dinky Toy Silver Link loco and carriages, and it always had pride of place amongst the other Dink Toys that I had.

Gresley A4 Pacifics

4498 Sir Nigel Gresley

Originally numbered 4498 by LNER, this loco was renumbered to 60007 in BR days.

  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 69070 bytes, pixels
  • Date : 24 May 1980, catalogued 17 Jan 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9332
  • Description : The A4 4-6-2 Pacifics were seen by many as the pinnacle of British steam passenger locomotive development. Here "Sir Nigel Gresley", eponomously named for the class designer, represents that legacy at Rocket 150.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 50060 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 08 Jul 1998
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome 64, slide number 9485
  • Description : Sir Nigel Gresley in the sheds at Carnforth.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 108751 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 17 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9834
  • Description : Carlisle station, and "Sir Nigel Gresley" waits while "The Clansman" draws into the station. Once attached to her train, the "Cumbrian Mountain Express", 4498 will cross the path of the Clansman to head off up the famous Settle and Carlisle line to Settle.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 123515 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 17 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9835
  • Description : Carlisle station with "Sir Nigel Gresley" in classic pose - RHS.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 88510 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 21 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9836
  • Description : That sublime A4 profile.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 135716 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 21 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9837
  • Description : Carlisle station with "Sir Nigel Gresley" in classic pose - LHS.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 118542 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 21 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9839
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley" leaves Carlisle station with "The Cumbrian Mountain Express".


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 42182 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 21 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9845
  • Description : Sir nigel Gresley's eponymous conjugating valve gear. The A4 class (along with their predecessors) were 3 cylinder machines, and the valve action for the middle cylinder was derived from the two outer motions (themselves driven by Walschaert's valve gear) by a summing mechanism designed by (Sir) Nigel Gresley himself. Here you can see the take-off arm from the left hand valve cylinder leading into the Gresley conjugating gear.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 49683 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 21 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9846
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley"'s Walschaert's valve gear.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 51758 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 25 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9848
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley" at Appleby.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 93968 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 25 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9849
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley" at Appleby.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 55746 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 25 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9854
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley" at Garsdale.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 81401 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Jul 1980, catalogued 25 Feb 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 9855
  • Description : "Sir Nigel Gresley" at Garsdale.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 90651 bytes, pixels
  • Date : 17 Aug 1980, catalogued 07 Mar 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 10239
  • Description : Past rivalries forgiven, "Sir Nigel Gresley" attends the sesqui-centenary celebrations at Liverpool Road Station, Manchester.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 77040 bytes, pixels
  • Date : 17 Aug 1980, catalogued 08 Mar 1999
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 10259
  • Description : Another view of "Sir Nigel Gresley" at Liverpool Road Station, Manchester.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 35805 bytes, 800x565 pixels
  • Date : unknown, catalogued 24 Aug 2003
  • Photographer : Peter Brookes
  • Medium : email digital image, image location PABsEngine4498MallardTypeGodleyJun
  • Description : Peter writes:
    Train coming off top northern end of Cheshire Lines Committee line from Portwood Stockport joining Woodhead Line @ Godley Junction, [East Manchester] sadly now all gone!


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 54548 bytes, 650x433 pixels
  • Date : 1998 (?), catalogued 30 Sep 2005
  • Photographer : Alan Newble
  • Medium : email digital image, image location newble4498-1
  • Description : LNER 4498 "Sir Nigel Gresley" heading up Shap on a foggy day.


60009 Union of South Africa

  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 54413 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Nov 1986, catalogued 03 Jan 2000
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 15706
  • Description : The Union of South Africa stands waiting for admirers at the 1986 RAF Leuchars Air Show. Alas, most people are interested in the aircraft, not the railcraft.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 60367 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Nov 1986, catalogued 03 Jan 2000
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 15707
  • Description : The Union of South Africa finds some admirers at last, in the form of two young boys who have been indoctrinated by their father. (Not all that successfully, I might add.)


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 68451 bytes, pixels
  • Date : Nov 1986, catalogued 06 Jan 2000
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome, slide number 15708
  • Description : A more comprehensive view of 60009 at Leuchars Air Show.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 106534 bytes, 800x600 pixels
  • Date : Jun 2004, catalogued 06 Jan 2005
  • Photographer : Stewart Hughes
  • Medium : email digital image, image location Pictures/Trains/StewartHughes/SVR 60009 2small.JPG
  • Description : Stewart writes:
    Here's another pretty line, the Severn Valley railway, also on the Welsh border but this one in England. An unlikely find in Bridgnorth shed is Gresley A4 60009 Union of South Africa. Sadly it's partially buried in the shed - hard to photograph. It looks very odd standing next to a GWR saddle tank.
    Yes, but your piccie shows off 60009 to much better advantage than my earlier 1986 shots. Check the SVR web site at http://www.svr.co.uk/


60019 Bittern

  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 122819 bytes, pixels
  • Date : 5 Apr 1980, catalogued 10 Apr 1998
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome 64, slide number 8878
  • Description : LNER "Bittern" in storage at Dinting Railway Museum. And note what is behind her, too: a Great Central Railway 8K, the class that was the pattern for the famous "ROD" locomotives!


60022 Mallard

  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 115114 bytes, pixels
  • Date : 20 Apr 1980, catalogued 18 Jul 1998
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : Kodachrome 64, slide number 8987
  • Description : The world's fastest steam locomotive: `Mallard', at the NRM, York.


  • Image : dir=br/lner/a4/ page=index 282863 bytes, 800x533 pixels
  • Date : 15 May 2019, catalogued 09 Jan 2020
  • Photographer : John Hurst
  • Medium : digital camera (Canon EOS600D), image location 20190515-100426
  • Description : The beautiful lines of an A4, Mallard, at the National Rail Museum in York


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