RailRoad, LNER, A4 Class, 4-6-2, 4468
Product Information
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Description
Probably the most iconic Pacific Express design of locomotive in Great Britain, the LNER Gresley A4, with its streamlined casing, was a classic symbol of the attitude towards speed and design in the 1930s.
The 1930s saw increased competition to the railways from road and air travel and the LNER Board knew that they had to make travel between the major cities faster, more comfortable and more reliable. High speed diesel services were starting to make an impact abroad, in May 1933, the German State Railways diesel-electric Fliegende Hamburger entered service, running for extended periods at 85mph and by 1934, in the USA, Burlington Zephyr had reached 112.5mph during a longer 1,015 mile journey.
Nigel Gresley, the LNER's Chief Mechanical Officer, travelled on the Fliegende Hamburger and was impressed by its streamlining, although he realised it was only efficient at high speeds. Gresley was certain that a modified A3 Pacific, with streamlining, could haul greater loads than the German or US locomotives, at the same speed or faster and a series of trials were conducted to confirm the Al's suitability.
Their streamlined design not only made them capable of high speeds, but created an updraught of smoke, avoiding the obscuring of the driver's vision that was such a major problem on the Class AJ engines. The story goes that during windtunnel testing, after several unsuccessful efforts to get the smoke to lift clear, a thumbprint was inadvertently left on the clay model, just behind the chimney. This succeeded in clearing the smoke and was incorporated into the final design.
In total, 35 A4s were built in four batches, 2509 - 2512, 4462- 4469, 4482 - 4500 and 4900 - 4903, between 1935 and 1938. They spent their working lives hauling express passenger services from King's Cross to Edinburgh, via York and Newcastle and although the Deities proved worthy successors of the A4s on East Coast Mainline express services in the late 1950s, other diesel classes were unreliable. The A4s were kept in service until the mid-I 960s, the last service under British Rail being the Aberdeen-Glasgow service on September 14, 1966.
It was in July 1938 that 'Mallard' was recorded travelling at 126mph at
South Bank on the East Coast Mainline, snatching the record from the
German railway by a mere 1.5 mph - a record that still stands to this
very day.

Our Hornby engineers have developed a unique sound decoder that not only provides superior DCC control but also dedicated sounds associated with the locomotives that have been installed with this new sound decoder - TTS Twin Track Sound. The TTS Sound Manual for this locomotive can be downloaded here
- Background/Exhaust/
- Coasting Steam
- Chime Whistle Long
- Chime Whistle Short x 2
- Doors Slamming Shut
- Wheel Slip
- Safety Valve
- Injector
- Cylinder Cock
- Brake
- Blower
- Guards Whistle
- Coupler Clank
- Fireman's Breakfast
- Toggle Sound Mode between 'Chuffing' & 'Coasting'
- Coal Shovelling
- Blow Down
RailRoad
Our Hornby RailRoad collection provides a perfect entry into the exciting world of 00 gauge railway modelling. Designed to be less easily damaged, yet maintaining attractive detailing and accurate liveries, the range is ideal for both the younger enthusiast and experienced modeller. View the full range
Safety Notice
WARNING Not suitable for children under 36 months. It contains small parts which can present a choking hazard, and some components have functional sharp points and edges. Handle with care. Please refer to the safety notes in the main set instruction leaflet. colour and contents may differ from those illustrated.Please retain these details and the address for future reference.
Colour and contents of products may vary from those illustrated
Technical Specification & Detail
Gauge | 00 |
DCC Type | DCC Fitted |
Period | 1930s |
Operator/Livery | LNER Blue |
Class | A4 |
Designer | Sir Nigel Gresley |
Entered Service | 1938 |
Age Suitability | 3+ |
Purpose | Express Passenger |
Wheel Configuration | 4-6-2 |
Special Features
- NEM Couplings
Customer Reviews
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Review Guidelines
To write a great review:
- Focus on the item itself. Why do you like it or dislike it?
- Avoid mentioning any personal information (email address, telephone numbers) and time-sensitive material.
- Just be honest! You're an expert on this item. Share your experience with others. We will never reject a review just because it's negative.
We will reject reviews that contain:
- Customer service issues. Please contact Customer Services instead if you have experienced a specific issue that needs to be addressed.
- Any mention of competitors.
- General issues or discussion. Your review is on this specific item and what you think of it, it's not a place for debate and discussion on wider subject matters.
- Clear signs that you don't own the item.
- Profanities, distasteful language, promotional material and/or external links. This applies to nicknames too.
What happens next?
- We'll check your review and approve it as soon as possible. Should it not be possible for us to approve your review for the website, it'll appear (with a message from our team) in your Account area.
- Other visitors can leave replies to your review and mark if they felt it was helpful.
Write a review
Average rating based on 3 reviews
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Sign in or registerGood Loco for DCC Beginner
This model is a great start for people who are new to DCC, and want sound. An exceptional loco for an exceptional price.
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The latest Mallard.
Have just received my Mallard A4 Class could not wait quick enough to load on my track it works beautifully sounds are great for the price i am thrilled with it good value.
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mallard tts
Excellent , very smooth, great sounds , realistic. Well pleased.
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