Streamlined locomotives
of the world
2003 Lord President,, from 'Wonders of world engineering' Part 51, 15 February 1938
LNER Gresley P2 Mikados
Sir Nigel Gresley introduced A4-like wedge-shaped streamlining to the 2-8-2 P2 class in 1936.
2001 Cock o' the North, which, like 2002 Earl Marischal, dates from 1934, was the first of the class, and was later streamlined like the others. During 1944 they were all rebuilt as unstreamlined 4-6-2 A2/2s and finally withdrawn from service between November 1959 and July 1961.
2001 Cock o' the North from a Wills cigarette card, before 'wedging'
They changed their numbers three times: originally LNER nos 2001-2006, in 1946 they changed to LNER nos 501-506, and finally BR nos 60501-60506.
Built at Doncaster, they hauled trains of 500 tons or more on the main line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, which includes both the Forth and Tay Bridges – hence the Scottish names.
Before these Mikados were built, double-heading was common. The tractive effort, at 85% of the boiler pressure, was 43,462 lb, more than any other express loco then built in the UK.
2002 Earl Marischal pre-wedging, from Gallaher's 'Trains of the world' set of cigarette cards
Check out Richard Marsden's P2 page.
These weren't the only Gresley streamliners: there were the A4s, 10,000, which had two steamlined incarnations, and the 4-6-0 B17 class.