The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust have announced they have obtained the first components to be used in their third new-build project, which will see an LNER Gresley V4 be built.
About the LNER V4s
The V4’s turned out to be the last design produced by Gresley, before his sudden death in April 1941.
The class was essentially a scaled-down version of Gresley’s V2 class, with a lighter axle loading to increase route availability. Two engines were built, No. 3401 “Bantam Cock” and No. 3402 (Unofficially known as ‘Bantam Hen’).
Both engines provided good performance on the old Great Eastern lines, where they would have been suitable replacements for the LNER B17s.
On Gresley’s death, Thompson took over as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LNER. Thompson decided to design and build his B1, rather than build further V4s. Both engines were transferred to Scotland whether they survived until 1957 when both were withdrawn and cut up after needing new boilers.
New-build LNER V4 No. 3403
The project to build No. 3403 was announced by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust at their “Silver Jubilee Convention” in October 2015.
The project first started by gathering original drawing of the V4s, held in the National Railway Museum’s archives. Obtaining these allowed full CAD (Computer Aided Design) 3D Drawings to be produced.
Unlike new-build P2 No. 2007, 3403 shouldn’t need too much-redesigning work, due to the class being successful as built by Gresley.
Advances on the project, in terms of physicals parts, took a big step forward when buying various parts as a job lot in 2017.
The main parts obtained are tyres for all 10 wheels, these being built for another new-build V4 Project, which has stopped now.
- Visit the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust website
For more information
Hi was thinkin more of a V2 the famous 2-6-2Loco and to see that on mainline duties again.
What a loco to be built I just loved there performances on the GC with the Master Cutler to and from Sheffield to Marlybone 60963 lovely
Lets do that again
Yours Ira Bruce Soutter
Thanks
Hmm you should be thinking of when these loco’s are built hiring out to heritage lines ,so where is the B 16 , K 3 , K2 ,
“Someone” might just do that but the A1 Trust concentrates on LNER designs.
Then of course there was also the L1 ‘Remembrance Class’ LB&SCR
4-6-4 Tank Locomotives but then of course, we are talking mainline machines, with my suggestions. They just happened to be tank rather than tender because it’s only 55 miles between London & Brighton.
Nice but a LB& SCR J2 Tank would be even better.
I wish that someone would bulid an L.B.S.C. E2 tank loco insted of the mainline locos