LNER Class A3 No. 2750 Papyrus

LNER Class A3 No. 2750 "Papyrus"
LNER Class A3 No. 2750 "Papyrus" at King's Cross Station on March 5th, 1935.
Technical specifications
Designer(s)	Sir Nigel Gresley
Order number	314
Manufacturer(s)	Doncaster Works
Build date	March 1929
Total produced	One of the 27 Gresley A3s
Classification	LNER: A3 BR: A10
Wheel arrangement	4-6-2
Weight	96.25 long tons (97.79 t; 107.80 short tons)
Rail gauge	4 Foot 8 Inches
Valve gear	Walschaerts Valve Gear (Outside) Gresley's Conjugated Valve Gear (Inside)
Cylinders	Three
Boiler type	A1 Boiler
Boiler pressure	180 PSI
Bore stroke	20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm)
Firegrate area	41.25 sq ft (3.832 m2)
Fuel type	Coal
Heating area	525 sq ft (48.8 m2)
Performance figures
Tractive effort	29,835 lbf (132.71 kN)
Service information
Years in-service	1922-1945
Operator(s)	London and North Eastern Railway British Railways
Running numbers	LNER: 2750 (1929–1945) Thompson's Renumbering: 96 (1946–1947) BR: 60096 (1948 -1963)
Disposition details
Withdrawn	September 1963
Preserved	Not Preserved
Disposition	Scrapped

LNER Class A1 No. 2750 "Papyrus" was one of the 27 examples of the LNER Class A3 locomotives built by the LNER's own Doncaster Works to a design of Nigel Gresley, entering service in March 1929. Primarily used to haul express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line by LNER and its successor, British Railways, it is notable for achieving what was at the time a world record-breaking speed for a steam locomotive of 108 mph on 5 March, 1935.

History

LNER Class A1 No. 2750 "Papyrus" was constructed by the LNER's own Doncaster Works in March 1929 as one of the 27 examples of the LNER Class A3 locomotives for the London and North Eastern Railway and it was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley.

It eventually broke Flying Scotsman's 100 mph (161 km/h) record when Papyrus had reached a top speed of 108 mph (174 km/h), 8 mph (13 km/h) more than Flying Scotsman did as an A1.

It was withdrawn from active service in September 1963 and it became one of 77 A3s to be scrapped, leaving only one A3, Flying Scotsman behind.

Models

Scale models of Gresley A3 Class locomotives are typically stylized as the Flying Scotsman, thereby representing the most famous and only surviving member of the class. Only a few models of Papyrus have been manufactured to date. Dapol produced an N-gauge model in 2012. Hattons produced an O-gauge model in 2019.