11/10/2022
Sir Nigel Gresley on NYMR today
LNER A4 'Sir Nigel Gresley' No. 4498 (60007)
Sir Nigel Gresley was the 100th Gresley Pacific built by the Great Northern Railway / London and North Eastern Railway. Built at Doncaster as works N°1863, the locomotive entered service in 1937 following a naming ceremony at Marylebone station on 26th November.
When built, the locomotive was originally going to have been called Bittern until someone noticed that this would be the 100th Gresley-designed Pacific. So it was decided to name her after her designer Sir Nigel Gresley.
The locomotive was mainly based at London King's Cross, with a spell at Grantham during World War II, and was briefly re-numbered as N°7 before becoming N°60007 when the LNER was merged into British Railways. On 3rd June 1956, Sir Nigel Gresley had the honour of hauling the Royal Train from King's Cross to York with H.M the Queen on board. The "Stephenson Locomotive Society Special" of the 23rd May 1959 was the first train in the UK with a booked or advertised schedule of over 100 m.p.h. and during that trip, N°60007 set the official post-war speed record for steam traction of 112 mph
Fresh from an overhaul it is seen in a temporary semi-matt livery, with the repaint to Caledonian Blue delayed as further work is needed on the locomotive.