Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley (19 June 1876 – 5 April 1941) was one of Britain's most famous Steam locomotive engineers who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain including the LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific engines, one of which, number 4468 Mallard, still holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world.

Biography

After attending school in Sussex and at Marlborough College, Gresley served his apprenticeship at the Crewe works of the London and North Western Railway, afterwards becoming a pupil under John Aspinall at Horwich on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). After several minor appointments with the L&YR he was made Outdoor Assistant in the Carriage and Wagon Department in 1901; in 1902 he was appointed Assistant Works Manager at the Newton Heath depot, and Work Manager the following year.

This rapid rise in his career was maintained, for in 1904 he became Assistant Superintendent of the Carriage and Wagon Department of the L&YR. A year later he moved to the Great Northern Railway (GNR) as Carriage and Wagon Superintendent. He succeeded Henry A. Ivatt as CME of the GN on 1 October 1911. At the 1923 Grouping he was appointed CME of the newly-formed LNER, a position he held until, on 5 April 1941, he died after a short illness.

Innovations

• Derived valve motion for 3-cylinder steam locomotives.
• The largest passenger steam locomotive in the UK, the P2 2-8-2.
• The largest steam locomotive in the UK, the U1 2-8-0+0-8-2 Garratt.
• The 'locomotive that won the war ', the V2 2-6-2.
• The A3 'Flying Scotsman' 4-6-2.
• The fastest steam locomotive in the world, the A4 'Mallard' 4-6-2 (125 / 126 mph).
• Another A4, 'Silver Link ', holding the world speed record for steam locomotives (112 mph)
• The experimental high-pressure 'hush-hush ' 4-6-4 locomotive
• Silver Jubilee Express

Mallard at York

Locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley

• Great Northern Railway
  • J6 0-6-0 (1911)
  • K1 2-6-0 (1912)
  • J2 0-6-0 (1912)
  • O3 2-8-0 (1913)
  • K2 2-6-0 (1914)
  • J51 0-6-0T (1915)
  • K3 2-6-0 (1920)
  • N2 0-6-2T (1920)
  • O2 2-8-0 (1921)
  • J50 0-6-0T (1922)
  • A1 4-6-2 (1922)

• LNER
  • P1 2-8-2 (1925)
  • U1 Garratt 2-8-0+0-8-2 (1925)
  • J38 0-6-0 (1926)
  • J39 0-6-0 (1926)
  • A3 4-6-2 (1927)
  • D49 4-4-0 (1927)
  • B17 4-6-0 (1928)
  • V1 2-6-2T (1930)
  • P2 2-8-2 (1934)
  • A4 4-6-2 (1935)
  • V2 2-6-2 (1936)
  • W1 4-6-4 (1937)
  • K4 2-6-0 (1937)
  • V3 2-6-2T (1939)
  • V4 2-6-2 (1941)

External links

• Comprehensive biography