Streamlined locomotives
of the world

LNER Gresley A4 Pacific

Sir Nigel Gresley introduced the famous wedge-shaped 'streaks' A4 class in 1935 to pull a new train called the Silver Jubilee, between London King's Cross and Newcastle, in celebration of King George V's 25th year of reign.

Silver Jubilee

To celebrate the Coronation in 1937, he inaugurated a train called, funnily enough, Coronation, between London and Edinburgh, which featured a beaver-tail observation car at the rear. Raymond Loewy thought 2509 Silver Link 'rather efficiently streamlined, but somewhat lacking in grace'.

60022 Mallard by Robert Ayton from 'The Story of Railways' Ladybird Books 1961

On the 3 July 1938, between Grantham and Peterborough, 4468 Mallard achieved 126.4 mph, still the world speed record for a steam train.

Preserved A4s:
60007 (4498) Sir Nigel Gresley North Yorkshire Moors Railway
60008 (4496) Dwight D Eisenhower National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA (originally named Golden Shuttle, but renamed in September 1945)
60009 (4488) Union of South Africa Severn Valley Railway
60010 (4489) Dominion of Canada Canadian Railway Museum, Delson, Quebec
60019 (4464) Bittern Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line)
60022 (4468) Mallard National Railway Museum, York

These weren't the only Gresley streamliners: there was 10,000, which had two steamlined incarnations and the 4-6-0 B17 class (and don't forget the P2s which were converted into the A2s!!)

Check out Richard Marsden's A4 page.


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