A View of the P2
A View of the P2
Welcome to the July edition of Engine Shed. This month features the finished samples of the P2 Class locomotives, the ‘Salmon’ wagon engineering sample, and the ‘Black Five’/5MT Class engineering sample. Take a sneak peek of Hornby’s visit to the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in Darlington, and we’ll look at some of the locomotives and coaches coming soon.
P2 Class
LNER Chief Mechanical Engineer Sir Nigel Gresley designed the P2 Class of 2-8-2 locomotives to haul express passenger trains on the notoriously difficult Edinburgh to Aberdeen mainline. A locomotive had to contend with steep gradients and tight curves on this route, so the express passenger service needed a double-header of two small engines.
LNER P2 Class 2-8-2 No. 2001 ‘Cock O’ the North’ locomotive at Doncaster Works, 12 May 1934.
© Science Museum Group
Gresley needed to design a new locomotive that didn't rely on a double-header. In 1932, he started work on a new locomotive at the LNER Doncaster Works. He developed a Mikado (2-8-2) design with four driving axles for greater adhesion, an A3-type boiler, and a dual chimney. In February 1933, in the final stages of design, two engines were approved. Towards the end of March, the order was reduced to one locomotive.
During this time, Gresley made some modifications. He extended the firebox, added a Kylchap double blastpipe/chimney, installed an AFCI feed water heater, and fitted smoke deflectors. He continued adapting the design up to March 1934. He moved the smoke deflector plates forward so they were ahead of the smokebox. He amended the deflectors after wind tunnel tests, making them vertical, and changed the cab front to a V-shape. After this, five more locomotives were ordered.
The first P2
The first P2, No. 2001 ‘Cock o’ the North’, completed construction in May 1934 and undertook early indicator tests. In December 1934, No. 2001 travelled to a locomotive testing station in Vitry-sur-Seine near Paris for two months of further tests. It returned to Doncaster, where it undertook even more tests! ‘Cock o’ the North’ entered service in Scotland.
In October 1934, the second locomotive, No. 2002 ‘Earl Marischal’, also completed construction. The four other locomotives were completed in 1936. These designs had streamlined fronts, like the A4 Pacifics.
A unique feature of the P2 was the chime whistle. No. 2001 had a Crosby chime whistle that Gresley acquired from Captain Howey of the privately owned Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch Railway. Gresley specified that the chime whistle should be fitted in front of, and halfway up, the chimney. It was a visible feature which made the locomotive more prominent to railway enthusiasts. After completing No. 2001, Gresley contacted the Crosby Chime company for more whistle quotes to add to more of the LNER fleet. This included all the A4 class locomotives, the two streamlined B17s, the rebuilt W1, and the rest of the P2s.
No. 2001 ‘Cock O’ the North’ locomotive showing off its unique chime whistle, 11 July 1934.
© Science Museum Group
What became of this locomotive class?
Gresley passed away in 1941 while the locomotives were in service in Scotland. His successor, Edward Thompson, took over the role and started the standardisation process. He decided to rebuild the P2s due to their small number and mixed success on the mainline. All six locomotives became A2/2 Pacifics between January 1934 and December 1944.
Fast forward to today, and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is building the next locomotive in the P2 series: No. 2007 ‘Prince of Wales’. Using 21st-century design and manufacturing technology, they aim “to operate across the UK and justify the claims that the original Gresley design was Britain’s most powerful passenger steam locomotive.” The design will closely follow No. 2001 ‘Cock o’ the North’. They have set a target for completing construction in 2025, and the group intend for the locomotive to operate on the national rail network to haul passenger trains.
Finished P2 Samples
In last month’s edition, All Eyes on the 2MT (Finally!) :: Hornby Hobbies, we showed you a sneak peek of the P2 models in production. Now, we can share the finished locomotive samples with you, which are arriving imminently. Two models will reflect the following prototypes: No. 2002 ‘Earl Marischal’ and No. 2003 ‘Lord President’ in LNER Apple Green livery. The third model will reflect a finished interpretation of a modern continuation of the class: No. 2007 ‘Prince of Wales’ and will also be in LNER Apple Green livery.
Please enjoy this group shot of the P2 models, where you can appreciate the incorporated details.
The models feature a quick-release connector from the tender to the locomotive and a flickering firebox highlighting the enhanced cab detail. The locomotive has a well-balanced weight over the main drive axle, and the total weight of the locomotive and the tender is more than 400g. A metal etch plate on the tender represents the door slide in fine detail.
We already have a lot of pre-orders for these impressive models. Don't be left out! Get your pre-orders in now.
Hornby visit to A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Hornby recently visited the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in their brand-new works on Bonomi Way in Darlington and saw the No. 2007 'Prince of Wales' loco's boiler in action. We took our refined P2 model, showing the result of what will be an essential and iconic locomotive continuing the P2 series.
‘Black Five’/5MT Class Engineering Sample
An engineering sample of the ‘Black Five’/5MT Class model has arrived. Please see the images below.
We've now reviewed the first engineering samples shown and are expecting the first decoration samples in the next few months.
‘Salmon’ Wagon Engineering Sample
We also have an engineering sample of the ‘Salmon’ wagon, as you can see below.
48DS Class Locomotives
The 48DS Class locomotive models coming soon (the No. 1 ‘Qwag’ and No. 200793 ‘Gower Princess’) will be in Ruston & Hornsby livery. Both the prototype diesel locomotives are preserved. ‘Qwag’ was the first locomotive on the newly preserved Great Central Railway in 1972. In 2010, ‘Qwag’ was overhauled and returned to service.
‘Gower Princess’ was in service from 1940 at the William Evans & Co. Old Mills Colliery in Somerset. The Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway acquired the diesel shunter for preservation, where it remained until 2014. No. 200793 has moved to the West Somerset Railway and is a yard shunter at Williton.
GWR Mk3 Sliding Door Coaches
We are waiting on the imminent arrival of a selection of Mk3 coaches in a stunning and vivid GWR Green livery. We've represented four prototypes with running numbers: No. 49109 Trailer Guard Standard (TGS), No. 48125 Trailer Standard (TS), No. 48126 Trailer Standard Disabled (TSD) and No. 48127 Trailer Standard (TS). They are the perfect complementary rolling stock for a GWR Class 43 HST ‘Castle’ train pack on your layout.
Mk3 coaches entered service in 1975 and were a vast improvement over the ageing Mk2s. The Mk3s incorporated new secondary air suspension between the bogies and the body and aerodynamic skirting on the underframe. The Mk3 coach prototypes are still in service on the GWR main line and have been updated to comply with contemporary regulations.
R4896B GWR, Mk3 Sliding Door Trailer Guard Standard (TGS), 49109 - Era 11 (hornby.com)
R4915D GWR, Mk3 Sliding Door Trailer Standard (TS), 48125 - Era 11 (hornby.com)
R4895B GWR, Mk3 Sliding Door Trailer Standard Disabled (TSD), 48126 - Era 11 (hornby.com)
R4915E GWR, Mk3 Sliding Door Trailer Standard (TS), 48127 - Era 11 (hornby.com)
It’s time to sign off on another edition of Engine Shed - we hope you've enjoyed the sample updates. If you have any queries, please email marketing@hornby.com, and we will try our best to get back to you. See you next month!
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Happy Modelling!
The Engine Shed Team
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