Hornby R3207 LNER 2001 Cock O' The North Gresley Class P2 2-8-2 Mikado Type
Hornby have produced this model of the LNERs Gresley P2 class 2-8-2 Mikado type locomotive in conjuction with the A1 Steam Trust, builders of 60163 Tornado, who have now started work on construction of a P2 class locomotive.
This model is a highly detailed collectors model, featuring many separately fitted parts, accurate Doncaster livery and lining plus etched nameplates. Power is supplied by Hornbys' 3-pole motor and flywheel assembly, fitted into the boiler along with a DCC socket and decoder space. There's still plenty of room for a suitably weighty diecast chassis block.
The P2 design was created by Sir Nigel Gresley for service on the steeply graded and sharply curved LNER route between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, with the first locomotive built at Doncaster in 1932. While more power was needed the large wheels of the A3 and A4 4-6-2 pacific types mades these engines less sure-footed at slow speeds. To overcome these problems a 2-8-2 Miakdo wheel arrangement with smaller wheels was selected, allied to an A3 type boiler with a lengthtned firebox, Kylchap type blastpipe/chimney combination and, unusually, Lentz rotary valve gear. Two locomotive were authorised but one was built as a prototype for testing before the design was finalised. Following road tests in Britain and at the French locomotive testing plant in Paris the smoke deflectors were moved forward to extend beyond the smokebox and a 'V' shaped cab front was added to improve smoke lifting to clear the drivers' view.
Given class designation P2 in the LNERs' locomotive classification system a total of six were built, the four 'production' locomotives being given A4 style streamlined front ends from new, the first two being fitted with streamlined fronts when returned to Doncaster for repairs. While highly capable locomotives the long wheelbase was not well suited to the curving track and, as a small and relatively non-standard, class the P2s had been withdrawn for rebuilding by 1944. Edward Thompson, Gresley's successor as CME, reconstructed all six locomotives to the more usual 4-6-2 pacific wheel layout as class A2/2, as which the locomotives passed to British Railways ownership.
DCC Ready. 8 pin decoder required for DCC operation.