LNER Peppercorn Class A1

Infobox Locomotive
name= LNER Peppercorn Class A1
powertype= Steam


caption= 60133 "Pommern" passing Leeds-Holbeck High Level Station hauling Leeds Central to Kings Cross Yorkshire Pullmanin 1951
designer= Arthur Peppercorn
builder= Doncaster Works
Darlington Works
builddate= 1948 - 1949, 2007 (see article)
whytetype= Whyte|4-6-2
length= convert|72|ft|11.75|in|2|abbr=on
height= convert|13|ft|1|in|2|abbr=on (60163 "Tornado" - convert|13|ft|2|abbr=on)
width= convert|9|ft|2.875|in|2|abbr=on
leadingsize= convert|3|ft|2|in|2|abbr=on
driversize= convert|6|ft|8|in|2|abbr=on
trailingsize= convert|3|ft|8|in|2|abbr=on
boiler= Diagram 118
convert|6|ft|5|in|abbr=on diameter
convert|29|ft|2|in|abbr=on length
boilerpressure= convert|250|psi|abbr=on|lk=on
cylindersize= convert|19|x|26|in|abbr=on|lk=on
firearea= convert|50.0|sqft|lk=on
fireboxarea= convert|245.3|sqft|lk=on
tubearea= convert|1211.6|sqft|lk=on
fluearea= convert|1004.5|sqft|lk=on
totalarea= convert|2461.4|sqft|lk=on
superheaterarea= convert|697.7|sqft|lk=on
tractiveeffort= convert|2700|PS|lk=on
topspeed= convert|100|mph|abbr=on|lk=on
axleload= convert|22.1|LT|abbr=on|lk=on
weightondrivers= convert|66.55|LT|abbr=on|lk=on
weight= convert|105.2|LT|abbr=on|lk=on
tenderweight= convert|60.9|LT|abbr=on|lk=on
locotenderweight= convert|166.1|LT|abbr=on|lk=on
fueltype= Coal
fuelc
convert|9.0|LT|abbr=on|lk=on (60163 "Tornado" - convert|7.5|LT|abbr=on|lk=on)
waterc
convert|5000|impgal|L|abbr=on|lk=on (60163 "Tornado" - convert|6000|impgal|L|abbr=on|lk=on)
locale= North Eastern Region of British Railways
numinclass= 49 (+1 under construction)
roadnumber= 60114 - 60162 (60163 "Tornado" under construction)
firstrundate= August 1948
lastrundate= June 1966
retiredate= October 1962 - June 1966
scrapdate= 1962 - 1966
disposition= 49 withdrawn and scrapped, 1 under construction

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn Class A1 was a class of steam locomotives. 49 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 none survived.

The Class has the wheel arrangement 4-6-2 and was powered by three cylinders. The chimney system was of the type Double-Kylchap. The new series was ordered by the LNER but delivered later to British Railways. It was built after the nationalization of private railway companies at Doncaster and Darlington works of former LNER between 1948 and 1949.

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. The Thompson A1s were not, however, constructed, these locomotives being built in their place after his retirement.

The locomotives were designed to cope with the heaviest passenger trains in the after-war period at the East Coast Mainline (London – York – Newcastle – Edinburgh – Aberdeen) which consisted normally of trains with up to 15 coaches and up to 550 tons. The ‘’’Peppercorn’’’ A1’s were able to pull such a train on a plain at a speed of 60-70 mph (95-110 km/h.

Above all though the A1s were renowned for their reliability. By 1961 the class had accumulated 48 million miles, equivalent to 202 miles each calendar day. These were unmatched by any other steam locomotive on British Railways. Some of the best performers were put in by Nos 60153-57 which in a move to increase mileage between general repairs were fitted with roller bearing axleboxes. Between 1949 and 1961 this quintet totalled 4.8 million miles with an average mileage between works overhauls of 120,000. In a single year No 60156 "Great Central" of Kings Cross ran 96,000 miles.

If there was one drawback to the Peppercorn A1 it was its riding. There were wide variations between individual class members with some very rough indeed. The cause apart from the inevitable axlebox wear lay in the leading bogie. This was the same as that fitted to the LNER Thompson Class B1 but no adjustments were made at the design stage to tailor it for the heavier A1. Changes to the loading of the bogie side control springs usually brought the riding up to a level comparable with other express types.

By summer of 1966 all 49 class members had gone for scrap. The last to be withdrawn was no 60145 "Saint Mungo" after a working life of just 17 years.

Preservation

As mentioned above no A1 survived into preservation. A fiftieth example, 60163 Tornado (named after the Panavia Tornado) has been built by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and assembled at the old LNER works at Darlington. Its first test run took place on 1st August 2008. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7536023.stm] Full steam ahead for new engine] From Darlington it will move to the Great Central Railway (preserved) for testing before being allowed onto the mainline. Its first livery - after the standard grey undercoat - will be LNER Apple Green. The importance of Tornado, other than revival of a scrapped class, is that it is the first mainline steam engine to be built and completed since the end of steam in Britain.

Names Of Historic Peppercorn A1 Locomotives

References

External links

* [http://www.winwaed.com/rail/LNER/locos/A/a1peppercorn.shtml LNER encyclopedia]
* [http://www.a1steam.com/ A1 Steam Locomotive Trust]
* [http://picasaweb.google.com/A1SLTDarlington/Historical Historic A1s 1940s - 1960s]