Streamlined locomotives
of the world
LMS 'Princess Coronation' class Pacific
Designed by Mr W A Stanier (later Sir William) who prefered the spheroidal-shaped front end rather than the A4 wedge, and combined it with a projection-free horizontal boiler top, further enhanced by four horizontal silver bands on a royal-blue ground. Introduced in 1937, the streamlining was removed between 1946 and 1949. The engines shown are 6225 Duchess of Gloucester (top) and 6220 Coronation (below). This class pulled the Coronation Scot, from London Euston to Glasgow. BTW the "Coronation" (in red and gold livery) that visited the New York World's Fair & toured the USA in 1939 complete with regulation bell & electric lamp was in fact 6229 Duchess of Hamilton (still with us!) – the number, name and accessories were swopped back with the real Coronation when the Duchess returned home in 1943.
Check out these amazing magazine covers.
The Coronation Scot visits the New York World's Fair in 1939
The Track of the Coronation Scot route map cover.
Re-streamlined?
According to the November 1998 issue of The Railway Magazine,
6229 Duchess of Hamilton was to be re-streamlined!
The project was to be funded by VSOE (Venice Simplon Orient Express),
but fell through.
The good news is that she is now to be restreamlined, thanks to the National Railway Museum! The locomotive is currently at the Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley, where work is underway. The project will be completed by July 2007, when Duchess will return in style to York for the 70th anniversary of the Coronation Scot service - and to take her place at the heart of a new National Railway Museum temporary exhibition.
This follows the news that 6233 Duchess of Sutherland has been restored to working order, thanks to a Lottery grant.
Preserved Coronation class locos:
46229 (6229) Duchess of Hamilton National Railway Museum, York
46233* (6233) Duchess of Sutherland owned by The Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, The West Shed at the Midland Railway Centre, Derbyshire
46235 (6235) City of Birmingham Birmingham Museum of Science & Industry, now renamed Thinktank
(* never streamlined)