LNER Peppercorn Class A1

LNER Peppercorn Class A1

60155 Borderer by the coaling stage at Gateshead depot in April 1964

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Arthur Peppercorn Builder Doncaster Works Darlington Works Build date 1948 - 1949, 2008

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) Length 72 ft 11 3⁄4 in (22.24 m) Width 9 ft 2 7⁄8 in (2.82 m) Height 13 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 weight 105.2 long tons (106.9 t; 117.8 short tons) Tender weight 60.9 long tons (61.9 t; 68.2 short tons) Total weight 166.1 long tons (168.8 t; 186.0 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 9.0 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 50.0 sq ft (4.65 m2) Boiler Diagram 118 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) diameter 29 ft 2 in (8.89 m) length Boiler pressure 250 psi (1,700 kPa) Heating surface 2,461.4 sq ft (228.67 m2)  • Tubes 1,211.6 sq ft (112.56 m2)  • Flues 1,004.5 sq ft (93.32 m2)  • Firebox 245.3 sq ft (22.79 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 697.7 sq ft (64.82 m2) Cylinders 3 Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts

Performance figures Maximum speed 100 mph (160 km/h) Power output 2,700 PS (2,000 kW) Tractive effort 37,400 lbf (166 kN)

Career Power class BR: 8P6F Number in class 49 original, plus 1 completed 2008 Numbers 60114 - 60162, 60163 Locale North Eastern Region of British Railways First run August 1948 Last run June 1966 Withdrawn October 1962 - June 1966 Scrapped 1962 - 1966 Disposition Original 49 withdrawn and scrapped, 1 built in 2008 and Mainline Registered

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn Class A1 is a type of express passenger steam locomotive. Forty-nine original Peppercorn Class A1s were built to the design of Arthur Peppercorn (who was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London and North Eastern Railway) during the early British Railways era, but all were scrapped with the discontinuation of steam, with none of the original production run surviving into preservation. In 2008 a brand new 50th Peppercorn A1 locomotive, 60163 Tornado, was completed.

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 after-war period on the East Coast Main Line (London – York – Newcastle – Edinburgh – Aberdeen) 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). Like previous LNER pacifics, the class had a 3-cylinder arrangement. The chimney system was of the type Double-Kylchap.