LNER Peppercorn Class A1

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LNER Peppercorn Class A1
LNER Peppercorn Class "A1" 4-6-2 No.60118.jpg
An A1 Class locomotive at Kings Cross "Top Shed", circa May 1963
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer Arthur Peppercorn
Builder Doncaster Works
Darlington Works
Build date1948–1949, 2008
Total produced49
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-6-2
Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Trailing dia. 3 ft 8 in (1.118 m)
Length72 ft 11+34 in (22.24 m)
Width9 ft 2+78 in (2.82 m)
Height13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
Axle load 22.1 long tons (22.5 t; 24.8 short tons)
Adhesive weight 66.55 long tons (67.62 t; 74.54 short tons)
Loco weight105.2 long tons (106.9 t; 117.8 short tons)
Tender weight60.9 long tons (61.9 t; 68.2 short tons)
Total weight166.1 long tons (168.8 t; 186.0 short tons)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity9 long tons (9.1 t; 10 short tons)
Water cap.5,000 imp gal (23,000 L; 6,000 US gal)
Firebox:
  Grate area50.0 sq ft (4.65 m2)
BoilerDiagram 118
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) diameter
29 ft 2 in (8.89 m) length
Boiler pressure250  psi (1,700  kPa)
Heating surface2,461.4 sq ft (228.67 m2)
  Tubes1,211.6 sq ft (112.56 m2)
  Flues1,004.5 sq ft (93.32 m2)
  Firebox245.3 sq ft (22.79 m2)
Superheater:
  Heating area697.7 sq ft (64.82 m2)
Cylinders 3
Cylinder size 19  in × 26 in (483  mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Walschaerts
Performance figures
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)
Power output2,700  hp (2,000  kW)[ citation needed ]
Tractive effort 37,400 lbf (166 kN)
Career
Operators British Railways
Power classBR: 8P6F
Number in class49 original, 1 completed in 2008
Numbers60114–60162, 60163
Locale North Eastern Region
First runAugust 1948
Last runJune 1966
WithdrawnOctober 1962–June 1966
DispositionOriginal 49 withdrawn and scrapped, 1 built in 2008 and Mainline Registered
60133 Pommern passing Leeds-Holbeck High Level Station hauling Leeds Central to Kings Cross Yorkshire Pullman 1951-01899wm.jpg
60133 Pommern passing Leeds-Holbeck High Level Station hauling Leeds Central to Kings Cross Yorkshire Pullman
60131 Osprey at Leeds Neville Hill locomotive shed on 18 April 1965 A1 60131 Osprey.jpg
60131 Osprey at Leeds Neville Hill locomotive shed on 18 April 1965

London and North Eastern Railway's (LNER) Peppercorn Class A1 is a class of 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotives built between 1948 and 1949 at Doncaster and Darlington Works to a design of Arthur Peppercorn. Forty-nine were built for hauling express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line owned by LNER's successor, British Railways' North Eastern Region. None of the original 49 Peppercorn A1s survived into preservation, with the last being scrapped in 1966. The 50th Peppercorn A1, 60163 Tornado, was completed in 2008 as an evolved member of its class.

Contents

Background

Most of the former LNER Class A1 locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley had been rebuilt as LNER Class A3 locomotives prior to this class being conceived. The few straggling LNER Class A1 locomotives that remained unrebuilt during the tenure of Peppercorn's predecessor, Edward Thompson, were redesignated by him as Class A10s in preparation for the construction of his new Class A1 locomotives. Thompson rebuilt the pioneer LNER Pacific Great Northern in 1945; originally this was the new Class A1, but the rebuild was not repeated. Instead, initiated by Thompson but largely taken forward by his successor Arthur Peppercorn, Great Northern was designated Class A1/1, and a new class of Peppercorn A1s ordered.

The locomotives were designed to cope with the heaviest passenger trains in the post-war period on the East Coast Main Line (LondonYorkNewcastleEdinburghAberdeen) which consisted normally of trains with up to 15 coaches and up to 550 tons. The Peppercorn A1s were able to pull such a train on the flat at a speed of 60–70 mph (95-110 km/h). The class used a double Kylchap chimney system and, like previous LNER Pacifics, had a 3-cylinder arrangement.

Original locomotives

Construction

The new A1s were ordered by the LNER but were delivered after the LNER had been nationalised to form part of British Railways at the start of 1948. The 49 engines were built at the Eastern Region's Doncaster and Darlington works between 1948 and 1949.

Construction details
NosDate builtWorksOrder no. [1] Notes
60114-221948Doncaster382
601231949Doncaster
60124-91949Doncaster383
60130-431948Darlington
60144-521949Darlington
60153-71949Doncaster388Built with Timken roller bearings on all axles
60158-621949Doncaster

Withdrawal

By summer of 1966, all 49 class members had gone for scrap. The last to be withdrawn from stock was No. 60145 Saint Mungo, after a working life of just 17 years. 60145 Saint Mungo was planned to be preserved by Geoff Drury; however, this ultimately was unsuccessful and none of the original locomotives were preserved. [2]

YearQuantity in
service at
start of year
Quantity
withdrawn
Locomotive numbersNotes
196249660115/22–23/35/37/53
196343660136/44/59–62
1964371160114/19–20/25/39/41/43/47/49–50/58
1965262460116–18/21/26–34/38/40/42/46/48/51–52/54–57
19662260124/4560145 was subject to preservation attempt.

List of original locomotives

Below is a list of original Peppercorn A1 Locomotives [3] [4] [5] [6] [ page needed ] [7] [ page needed ] [8] [9]

No.NameBuiltWorksWithdrawnNotes
60114 W. P. Allen August 1948DoncasterDecember 1964
60115 Meg Merrilies September 1948DoncasterNovember 1962
60116 Hal o' the Wynd October 1948DoncasterJune 1965
60117 Bois Roussel October 1948DoncasterJune 1965
60118 Archibald Sturrock November 1948DoncasterOctober 1965
60119 Patrick Stirling November 1948DoncasterMay 1964
60120 Kittiwake December 1948DoncasterJanuary 1964
60121SilurianDecember 1948DoncasterOctober 1965
60122 Curlew December 1948DoncasterDecember 1962
60123 H.A. Ivatt February 1949DoncasterOctober 1962
60124 Kenilworth March 1949DoncasterMarch 1966
60125 Scottish Union April 1949DoncasterJuly 1964
60126 Sir Vincent Raven April 1949DoncasterJanuary 1965
60127 Wilson Worsdell May 1949DoncasterJune 1965
60128BongraceMay 1949DoncasterJanuary 1965
60129 Guy Mannering June 1949DoncasterOctober 1965
60130 Kestrel September 1948DarlingtonOctober 1965
60131 Osprey October 1948DarlingtonOctober 1965
60132 Marmion October 1948DarlingtonJune 1965
60133PommernOctober 1948DarlingtonJune 1965
60134 Foxhunter November 1948DarlingtonOctober 1965
60135 Madge Wildfire November 1948DarlingtonNovember 1962
60136AlcazarNovember 1948DarlingtonMay 1963
60137 Redgauntlet December 1948DarlingtonOctober 1962
60138 Boswell December 1948DarlingtonOctober 1965
60139 Sea Eagle December 1948DarlingtonJune 1964
60140 Balmoral December 1948DarlingtonJanuary 1965
60141 Abbotsford December 1948DarlingtonOctober 1964
60142 Edward Fletcher February 1949DarlingtonJune 1965
60143 Sir Walter Scott February 1949DarlingtonMay 1964
60144King's CourierMarch 1949DarlingtonApril 1963
60145 Saint Mungo March 1949DarlingtonJune 1966Preservation attempt failed
60146 Peregrine April 1949DarlingtonOctober 1965
60147 North Eastern April 1949DarlingtonAugust 1964
60148 Aboyeur May 1949DarlingtonJune 1965
60149AmadisMay 1949DarlingtonJune 1964
60150WillbrookJune 1949DarlingtonOctober 1964
60151 Midlothian June 1949DarlingtonNovember 1965
60152 Holyrood July 1949DarlingtonJune 1965
60153FlamboyantAugust 1949DoncasterNovember 1962
60154 Bon Accord September 1949DoncasterOctober 1965
60155BordererSeptember 1949DoncasterOctober 1965
60156 Great Central October 1949DoncasterMay 1965
60157 Great Eastern November 1949DoncasterJanuary 1965
60158 Aberdonian November 1949DoncasterDecember 1964
60159 Bonnie Dundee November 1949DoncasterOctober 1963
60160 Auld Reekie December 1949DoncasterDecember 1963
60161 North British December 1949DoncasterOctober 1963
60162 Saint Johnstoun December 1949DoncasterOctober 1963

Notes on names

The names of the A1s [10] were an eclectic mix including:

No. 60163 Tornado

60163 Tornado, August 2008, Darlington 60163 Tornado front.jpg
60163 Tornado, August 2008, Darlington

None of the original production run of 49 Peppercorn A1s survived the scrapyard to be preserved. However, in 2008, a brand new 50th A1 based on the original Peppercorn patterns, 60163 Tornado, was completed as the evolved member of the class. [11]

Accidents and incidents

Models

Bachmann Branchline and Hornby make models in OO gauge, Graham Farish produce a model in N gauge and Accucraft (UK) make a live steam model in Gauge 1.

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References

  1. Boddy, Neve & Yeadon 1973 , p. 193
  2. "60145 - Saint Mungo". A1 Steam. A1 Steam.
  3. "The Peppercorn A1 Pacifics". LNER Encyclopedia.
  4. Longworth[ full citation needed ] (not including Tornado)
  5. "Class Details". Railuk database. (not including Tornado)
  6. Boddy, Neve & Yeadon 1973 (not including Tornado)
  7. Yeadon 1991 (not including Tornado)
  8. A1LST history section[ full citation needed ] (not including Tornado)
  9. Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, part 4 (Summer 1961 ed.). pp. 26–27. Names of 60114-60162 are given but it also includes the LNER Thompson Class A1/1 60113 Great Northern in the list, making 50 locomotives.
  10. "Names of A1s". 60163 Tornado. A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Archived from the original on 23 July 2009.
  11. "New steam loco ready for service". BBC News. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008. The first new steam engine to be built in the UK for almost 50 years is ready for service after successfully completing all its trial runs ... Tornado, a Peppercorn class A1 Pacific steam locomotive ...
  12. Trevena, Arthur (1981). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. Redruth: Atlantic Books. p. 34. ISBN   0-906899-03-6.
  13. "A1 60113 – 60162 4-6-2 LNER & BR Thompson & Peppercorn". Preserved British Steam Locomotives. WordPress. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  14. Champion, Phil; Langer, Graham (3 February 2010). "No. 60123 H.A. Ivatt". The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  15. "Demise of the A1s". The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  16. Champion, Phil; Whittaker, T.D.; Langer, Graham (3 February 2010). "No. 60120 Kittiwake". The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  17. https://www.a1steam.com/2018/04/14/the-ebor-flyer-update/ Tornado motion failure
  18. https://www.a1steam.com/2018/04/17/tornado-repair-update/ Repairs update