Hornby: BR 4–6–2 ‘Golden Eagle’ A4 Class – Early BR
Probably the most iconic Pacific Express design of locomotive in Great Britain, the LNER Gresley A4, with its streamlined casing, was a classic symbol of the attitude towards speed and design in the 1930s.
The 1930s saw increased competition to the railways from road and air travel
and the LNER Board knew that they had to make travel between the major cities
faster, more comfortable and more reliable. High speed diesel services were
starting to make an impact abroad, in May 1933, the German State Railways
diesel-electric Fliegende Hamburger entered service, running for extended
periods at 85mph and by 1934, in the USA, Burlington Zephyr had reached
I I 2.5mph during a longer 1,015 mile journey.
Nigel Gresley, the LNER's Chief Mechanical Officer, travelled on the Fliegende Hamburger and was impressed by its streamlining, although he realised it was only efficient at high speeds. Gresley was certain that a modified A3 Pacific, with streamlining, could haul greater loads than the German or US locomotives, at the same speed or faster and a series of trials were conducted to confirm the Al's suitability.
- DCC Type: DCC Ready
- Livery: Early BR
- Class: A4
- Designer: Sir Nigel Gresley
- Entered Service: 1936
- Wheel Configuration: 4–6–2
Hornby is a household name and is famous as the UK brand leader in the model railway hobby. The company’s founder was Frank Hornby (1863 – 1936) who applied for a patent in 1901 to protect an invention he called ‘Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People’. Nobody then could have imagined how this product would influence the model railway hobby that we know today.