LNER Class A1

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The Class A1 locomotives were introduced in the late 1940s to designs by LNER Chief Mechanical Engineer Arthur Peppercorn. Delivered to BR after nationalisation, forty-nine of these steam locos were built to the 4-6-2 'Pacific' wheel arrangement with 6'8" driving wheels for express passenger services on the East Coast Mainline.
60163 Tornado arrives at Edinburgh Waverley on railtour 1Z60 from London Kings Cross on 11/06/2013 Photo by PIERSHILL2001


  • Five of these locomotives were allocated to the Scottish Region:
    • The last of the Darlington built batch, 60152, delivered in apple green livery.
    • The final four of the Doncaster built batch 60159-60162, delivered in BR express passenger blue livery.
  • Names were applied to the five locomotives in 1951 during works visits.
  • 60152 was painted in blue livery at naming, but 60162 was painted BR bruswick green.
  • Many of the class based at Gateshead and Heaton also received Scottish themed names.

Scottish Region Class A1 Locomotives - Shed Allocation

Number New First Depot Named Name BR Green Last Depot Withdrawn Disposal
60152 Jul-49 HAY / 64B Jun-51 HOLYROOD Nov-52 (50A) Jun-65 Cashmores Great Bridge, 1965
60159 Nov-49 HAY / 64B Jul-51 BONNIE DUNDEE Nov-52 64A Oct-63 Inverurie Works, 1964
60160 Dec-49 HAY / 64B Mar-51 AULD REEKIE Mar-53 64A Dec-63 Darlington Works 1964
60161 Dec-49 HAY / 64B Jun-51 NORTH BRITISH Nov-52 64A Oct-63 Inverurie Works, 1964
60162 Dec-49 HAY / 64B Aug-51 SAINT JOHNSTOUN Aug-51 64A Oct-63 Inverurie Works, 1964
Shed Codes: 64B - HAY - Haymarket, Edinburgh; 64A St Margarets, Edinburgh; 66A - Polmadie, Glasgow; 50A - York.

  • In January 1951, three of the class, 60152/160/161 moved west to the former LMS shed at Polmadie, returning to Haymarket in March, but 60160 & 60161 were sent to Polmadie again in September 1951. 60160 returned to Haymarket in February 1952, with 60152 going to Polmadie in December 1952. 60152 & 60161 returned to Haymarket in June 1953. (Ten years later six LNER Class A2 would move from Haymarket to Polmadie.

  • When Haymarket MPD closed to steam traction in September 1963, the five locos were reallocated to St. Margarets MPD, however four of the locos were withdrawn by the end of the year.
  • Loco 60152 'Holyrood' had been given a general overhaul earlier in 1963 and survived longer. In September 1964 it was reallocated to the Eastern Region at York MPD.

  • The last Class A1 in BR service was 60145 'Saint Mungo' (originally a Gateshead loco), although it had lost its nameplates the year before its withdrawal in June 1966.

New Built 60163 Tornado

First visit to Scotland ยป Tornado passing Craigentinny on Saturday 28/02/2009 Photo by calderdepot

  • 'The Auld Reekie Express' hauled by 60163 from York to Edinburgh on 28th February 2009. The loco and its support coach then ran north to stable at Thornton Depot, until it's return working on 7th March 2009, from Edinburgh to York on the 'North Briton'.


  • On September 8, 2015, 60009 'Union of South Africa' and 60163 'Tornado' double headed a 3-coach ECS movement from Tyne Yard to Millerhill Yard as part of preparations for the offical re-opening of the Borders Railway. <Flickr>

Apple Green 2009
BR Blue 2013
Brunswick Green in 2021



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Created by Dysgraphyk and last modified by him at 23:00, 11 of November 2023.