| Power Classification | 5MT reclassified 4MT in 1953 |
| Introduced | 1941 |
| Designer | Gresley |
| Company | LNER |
| Weight – Loco | 70t 15cwt |
| Tender | 42t 15wt |
| Driving Wheels | 5ft 8ins |
| Boiler Pressure | 250psi superheated |
| Cylinders | Three – 15in x 26in |
| Tractive Effort | 27,42lbf |
| Valve Gear | Walschaert (piston valve) |
The V4 locomotives, built at Doncaster in 1941, were examples of the last locomotive design introduced by Gresley.
The design did have some similarities with the V2 design introduced by Gresley in 1936 but the V2 had limited route availability. The first engine was built with a scaled-down version of the Gresley designed boiler used on his pacific locomotives.
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V2 as introduced by Gresley in 1936 |
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V4 introduced by Gresley in 1941 |
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B1 introduced by Thompson in 1942 |
The second locomotive was fitted with a fully welded steel firebox and a single thermic syphon for water circulation.
They were lightweight mixed traffic engines and they were intended as prototypes of a new powerful general-purpose machine with wide route availability. Gresley died in 1941 and no more locomotives were built and they were superseded by the B1 class locomotive introduced by Thompson in 1942.
When they were first introduced they underwent trials which included one being based on the Great Eastern section of the LNER. On the Great Eastern the locomotive was well received as it was more powerful than the existing B17 class engines and had better riding qualities.
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B17 Sandringham class introduced by Gresley in 1928 |
Subsequently both engines spent all of their lives in Scotland where they were mostly employed on the West Highland line even though they were not particularly suited to working on the steeply gradients on the line.
Whilst owned by BR the locomotives were based at Eastfield until the summer of 1954 when they were moved to Aberdeen Ferryhill.
Both locomotives were scrapped in 1957 when their boilers became due for renewal.
61700 (LNER 3401) was given the name Bantam Cock but 61701 (LNER 3402) was not named although it was often own as Bantam Hen.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 