Ace Trains E/36-A5-TF P2 Class Non-Streamlined "Thane of Fife" 2-8-2 BR Gloss Lined Blue No. 60505 Steam Locomotive

Box Specification:

• All metal construction
• Precision engineered
  
• Flywheel Drive
• Custom Made Gearbox
• Individually tested by ACE Trains
• All wheels flanged
• Sprung Buffers
• 2 Rail or 3 Rail Running (Switchable)
• Operates on 0-20V DC
• Detailed cab back-head with firebox glow
• Will run on radii down to 2ft
• Working front lights

About ACE Trains

ACE Trains have established their products as the most desirable and collectable O gauge model trains available today – faithful to time honoured traditions of craftsmanship and attention to detail, which were established in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

History

The London and North Eastern Railway Class P2 was a class of 2-8-2 steam locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for working heavy express trains over the harsh Edinburgh to Aberdeen line. As they were to serve on Scottish expresses, they were given famous names from Scottish folk lore.

Six locomotives of the class were built; introduced between 1934 and 1936. In 1936, the Class P2 were given streamlined fronts, similar to that of the Class A4.

The first locomotive of the class, No. 2001 Cock O' The North, was introduced in 1934. It was built at Doncaster and fitted with Lentz-type rotary-cam actuated poppet valve-gear and a double Kylchap exhaust, type chimney. The P2 introduced a vee-shaped cab front, designed to give a better view forward. The same design was later used on the A4 and V2 express engines.

The second locomotive of the class, No. 2002 Earl Marischal was completed by 1935, also at Doncaster, and was fitted with Walschaerts valve gear, as used on Gresley Pacifics, No. 2002 was unsatisfactory: with smoke obscuring the driver's view and wind tunnel experiments led to an additional second pair of smoke deflectors being fitted.

No. 2002 proved to be more efficient than 2001, and consequently, the following four locomotives were built with Walschaerts valve gear. In 1936 the third engine was produced: No. 2003, Lord President, based on the design of No. 2002 but with the external design modified to resemble the class A4 Silver Link locomotives. The wedge-shaped front was found to lift the engine's smoke clear of the driver's view; No. 2002 was altered to this form in 1936, and No. 2001 in 1938.

Three further locomotives, 2004 Mons Meg, 2005 Thane Of Fife and 2006 Wolf Of Badenoch were built at Doncaster in 1936. Some internal smoke-box blast pipe modifications were carried out on No. 2005 when built resulting in this loco only ever having a single chimney.

Between 1943 and 1944 the class were rebuilt under Gresley's successor Edward Thompson into the LNER Thompson Class A2/2 4-6-2 type.