LNER Class A2

Welcome to scot-rail.co.uk, Scotland's online railway community. The group is for any rail enthusiast interested in the railways and trains of Scotland. It not only consists of the wiki that you're reading now, but a busy online forum and mailing list, which was accessible to registered users. From April 2024 the forum has closed, with a replacement started on Groups.io.
The LNER Class A2 locomotives were introduced in the 1940s to designs by LNER Chief Mechanical Engineer Edward Thompson and his successor Arthur Peppercorn. Forty of these steam locos were built to the 4-6-2 'Pacific' wheel arrangement with 6'2" driving wheels for express passenger and fast freight services.
60532 Blue Peter stops at Montrose for water on the Aberdonian tour, on 21 August 1994 Photo by nixer10

The class was divided into four sub-types:
  • Thompson Class A2/2, six locomotives (numbers 2001-6, later 501-6) rebuilt from class P2 in 1943–44
  • Thompson Class A2/1, four locomotives (numbers 3696-9, later 507-510) built new in 1944–45 with class V2 boilers.
  • Thompson Class A2/3, fifteen locomotives (numbers 500, 511-524) built new in 1946–47
  • Peppercorn Class A2, fifteen locomotives (BR numbers 60525-539) built new 1947-49
The Thompson locos had the cylinders placed between the bogie and leading driving wheels.
The Peppercorn A2 locos 60525-539 were shorter with the cylinders along side the bogie, and looked similar to his A1 class.

The six class P2 locomotives had been built 1934-36 with a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement, for use on the Edinburgh - Aberdeen route. After rebuilding they continued to run on that route until they were replaced by newer Peppercorn A2 locos, when they were transferred to English sheds between November 1949 and January 1950.

Haymarket had received it's first Peppercorn A2, E529 'Pearl Diver' in February 1948 shortly after nationalisation as British Railways.

During the 1950s the Scottish Region had fifteen locos, 10 at Haymarket, 3 at Aberdeen Ferryhill and 2 at Dundee.
from Edinburgh they worked to Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth (via Glenfarg), Glasgow Queen Street, Carlisle (Waverley route) and Newcastle.
Gateshead and Heaton locos also worked Newcastle to Edinburgh.

Diesels were introduced to the Edinburgh - Aberdeen route in 1960, and withdrawals started.
Haymarket lost its allocation to St Margarets, with 7 locos moving away in October & November 1961.
In December 1962, three Scottish based A2 locos due for withdrawal were exchanged for three others from York. The last of the English based A2s were withdrawn in June 1963.
September 1963 saw six A2 locos move to Polmadie, the former LMS shed in Glasgow, as replacements for six Coronation Class locos which were withdrawn in the following 2 months. These locos saw some use on services to Carlisle, although by this time most WCML express trains were diesel hauled.

By June 1965 the final three Class A2 locos were based at Dundee, mostly used on freight trains, but seeing some use on passenger trains and railtours.

During 1966, 60528 and later 60532 would move to Aberdeen Ferryhill and augment the LNER A4 Class locos in the final months of steam haulage on the Aberdeen - Glasgow Buchanan Street route.

The last A2 in service with British Railways was 60532, withdrawn in December 1966.

Scottish Region Class A2 Locomotives - Shed Allocation

1st No.
BR No. Class Name New
1948
To ScR 1952 1962 1963 1964 1966 Withdrawn
2001
60501 Class A2/2 COCK O' THE NORTH Sep-44
ABD
- (50A) - - - Feb-60 (50A)
2002
60502 Class A2/2 EARL MARISCHAL Jun-44
ABD
- (50A) - - - Jul-61 (50A)
2003
60503 Class A2/2 LORD PRESIDENT Dec-44
HAY
- (50A) - - - Nov-59 (50A)
2004
60504 Class A2/2 MONS MEG Nov-44
HAY
- (35A) - - - Jan-61 (35A)
2005
60505 Class A2/2 THANE OF FIFE Jan-43
HAY
- (35A) - - - Nov-59 (35A)
2006
60506 Class A2/2 WOLF OF BADENOCH Apr-44
HAY
- (35A) - - - Jan-61 (35A)
3696
60507 Class A2/1 HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN May-44 (KX) Dec-49 64B - - - - Dec-60 64A
3698
60509 Class A2/1 WAVERLEY Nov-44
HAY
Mar-45 64B - - - - Aug-60 64B
3699
60510 Class A2/1 ROBERT THE BRUCE Jan-45 (DAR) Mar-49 64B - - - - Nov-60 64A
512
60512 Class A2/3 STEADY AIM Aug-46 (HTN)
Dec-62
(52B) (50A) 64A 66A - Jun-65 62B
519
60519 Class A2/3 HONEYWAY Feb-47
HAY
Feb-47 64B 64A - - - Dec-62 (50A)
522
60522 Class A2/3 STRAIGHT DEAL Jun-47 (YK)
Dec-62
(50A) (50A) 64A 66A - Jun-65 66A
524
60524 Class A2/3 HERRINGBONE Jul-47 (YK)
Dec-62
(50A) (50A) 61B 66A - Feb-65 66A
525
60525 Class A2 A.H. PEPPERCORN Dec-47 (DON) Sep-49 61B 61B 61B - - Mar-63 61B
E527
60527 Class A2 SUN CHARIOT Jan-48 (GHD) Jul-49 62B 61B 61B 66A - Apr-65 66A
E528
60528 Class A2 TUDOR MINSTREL Feb-48 (GHD) Jul-49 62B 62B 62B 62B 62B Jun-66 61B
E529
60529 Class A2 $ PEARL DIVER Feb-48
HAY
Feb-48 64B 64A - - - Dec-62 64A
E530
60530 Class A2 SAYAJIRAO Mar-48 (KX) Jan-50 64B 64A 64A 66A 62B Nov-66 62B
E531
60531 Class A2 BAHRAM Mar-48 (GHD) Aug-49 61B 61B - - - Dec-62 (50A)
60532
60532 Class A2 $ BLUE PETER Mar-48 (YK) Nov-49 61B 62B 62B 62B 62B Dec-66 61B
60534
60534 Class A2 IRISH ELEGANCE Apr-48 (YK) Nov-49 64B 64A - - - Dec-62 64A
60535
60535 Class A2 HORNET'S BEAUTY May-48 (YK) Nov-49 64B 64A 64A 66A - Jun-65 66A
60536
60536 Class A2 TRIMBUSH May-48 (COP) Nov-49 64B 64A - - - Dec-62 (50A)
60537
60537 Class A2 BACHELOR'S BUTTON Jun-48 (COP) Jul-49 64B 64A - - - Dec-62 64A

$ Double chimney fitted Sep.1949

Shed Codes:
Scottish Region:
61B - ABD - Aberdeen Ferryhill
62B - DEE - Dundee Tay Bridge
64A - STM - St Margarets, Edinburgh
64B - HAY - Haymarket, Edinburgh
66A - Polmadie, Glasgow
Eastern Region: 34A - KX - Kings Cross, London; 35A - NWE - New England, Peterborough; 37B - COP - Copley Hill, Leeds
North Eastern Region: 50A - YK - York; 52A - GHD - Gateshead; 52B - HTN - Heaton, Newcastle.

Preservation.

One class A2 loco survived, 60532 'Blue Peter'. On-loan to the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG), it returned to mainline running in the 1992 and visited Scotland several times in the following years.

Preserved 60532 running in Scotland
Date       Loco   Tour Name Link  Route Remarks Photo
 
1993
18.Sep.1993  
60532
The Fair Maid ~ Carlisle - Kilmarnock - Perth - Edinburgh SRPS railtours Flickr, Flickr
10.Oct.1993
60532
The Queen of Scots 6BellsJn Edinburgh - Springburn - Edinburgh (x2) E&G 150th Celebrations Flickr
17.Oct.1993
60532
The Aberdonian ~ Linlithgow - Dunfermline - Perth Aberdeen (return via Stirling) Dragged from Dunfermline by 56104 Flickr, Flickr
24.Oct.1993
60532
Bo'ness Steam Gala ~ Bo'ness - Birkhill (and return) ~ Flickr, Flickr
 
1994
xx.Jul.1994
60532
(Loco + POB?) ~ Carlisle - Bo'ness - =
21.Aug.1994
60532
The Aberdonian 6BellsJn Stirling - Aberdeen (and return) Nameplates changed colour at Aberdeen Flickr, Flickr
10.Sep.1994
60532
Bo'ness Steam Gala ~ Bo'ness - Birkhill (and return) Chimney at Bo'ness end. Flickr
01.Oct.1994
60532
The Heart of Midlothian 6BellsJn Edinburgh - Durham York Failed on durham viaduct Flickr
 
1997
22.Mar.1997
60532
The Ayr Raider 6BellsJn Carlisle - Beattock - Paisley - Stevenston Run by Pathfinder RailScot, Photo
60532
The Ayr Raider ~ (Ayr) Falkland Yard - Kilmarnock - Carlisle (37153 worked stock to Ayr) ~
 
1998
21.Mar.1998
60532
The Mid-day Scot Uksteam (Birmingham) Crewe - Motherwell Run by 'Days Out Ltd' =
19.Apr.1998
60532
Forty Years of Blue Peter ~ Edinburgh - Kings Cross For BBC TV show Flickr
 
1999
11.Jun.1999
60532
(Private Charter) UKsteam Edinburgh - Dunfermline (ECS via Thornton Yd to Millerhill) SRPS railtours Flickr
12.Jun.1999
60532
Fife Coast Express Thread Edinburgh - Fife Circle (AM & PM) SRPS railtours Flickr
27.Jun.1999
60532
(B&KR) ~ Bo'ness - Birkhill (and return) (with 51L shed plate) =
10.Jul.1999
60532
SRPS railtours UKsteam Linlithgow - Edinburgh - Preston SRPS railtours =



Photo Links


See Also