Symbolising the 1930’s speed and style, the A4 Pacifics were much more than romantic gestures.  

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley they became the LNER’s answer to increased competition from road, air and new high speed diesel trains and provided a faster, more reliable and more comfortable service between major cities. The shape of the A4 gave the LNER publicity machine a field day with the new streamlining having been refined in the wind tunnel, initially inspired by a Bugatti rail-car. The LNER Silver Jubilee service was designed as a streamlined train including 7 streamlined coaches utilising valences and shared bogies. Based on the successful A3 design a number of mechanical changes were also necessary to produce free steaming. Public services began in October 1935 and a further three locomotives were built for the Silver Jubilee service to Newcastle. This service was a great success providing a fast, reliable service between two major cities and cutting the journey time between Kings Cross and Newcastle to 4 hours. Success was so great that the trains were extended from 7 to 8 coaches, leading to an extension of the service to Edinburgh and the building of a further five A4’s. By 1937 a third service to Leeds & Bradford had started. Britain’s first Inter-city network of high speed train services was born. When the railways were Nationalised the A4’s were renumbered by adding the ‘600’ prefix and remained in service until the 1960’s. On the 3rd July 1938 Mallard set the steam speed record at 125.88 mph (202.58 km/h). Thirtyfive A4’s were built, the survivors gathered together in 2013 by the National Railway Museum to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the creation of the steam speed record. 

They are 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower, 60009 Union of South Africa, 4464 Bittern, 4468 Mallard and 4489 Dominion of Canada.