Nigel Gresley

For the canal builder, see Sir Nigel Gresley, 6th Baronet. For the A4-class locomotive named after the designer, see LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley.

Herbert Nigel Gresley
Born	19 June 1876 Edinburgh
Died	5 April 1941
Nationality	British
Work
Engineering discipline	Locomotive engineer
Employer(s)	Great Northern Railway, London and North Eastern Railway

Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley (19 June 1876 – 5 April 1941)^[1] 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 A1 and LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific engines. An A1, Flying Scotsman, was the first steam locomotive officially recorded over 100 mph in passenger service, and an A4, number 4468 Mallard, still holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world (126 mph).

Gresley's engines were considered elegant, both aesthetically and mechanically. His invention of a three-cylinder design with only two sets of Walschaerts valve gear, the Gresley conjugated valve gear, produced smooth running and power at lower cost than would have been achieved with a more conventional three sets of Walschaerts gear.

'Flying Scotsman

Biography

Salisbury Hall, Gresley's home during the 1930s

Gresley was born in Edinburgh (due to his mother's ante-natal complications), but was raised in Netherseal, Derbyshire, a member of the cadet branch of a family long seated at Gresley, Derbyshire. 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 of 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 Newton Heath depot, and Works 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 GNR on 1 October 1911. At the 1923 Grouping, he was appointed CME of the newly formed LNER (the post had originally been offered to the ageing John G. Robinson; Robinson declined and suggested the much younger Gresley). In 1936, Gresley was awarded an honorary DSc by Manchester University and a knighthood by King Edward VIII;^[2] also in that year he presided over the IMechE.

During the 1930s, Sir Nigel Gresley lived at Salisbury Hall, near St. Albans in Hertfordshire. In the moat, Gresley developed an interest in breeding wild birds and ducks, intriguingly amongst the species were Mallard ducks!^[3] The Hall still exists today as the home of the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.

In 1936, Gresley designed the 1,500V DC locomotives for the proposed electrification of the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield. The Second World War forced the postponement of the project until the 1950s.

Gresley died after a short illness on 5 April 1941 and was buried in Netherseal, Derbyshire.

He was succeeded as CME by Edward Thompson.

Innovations

• Derived valve motion for 3-cylinder steam locomotives; Gresley Conjugated Valve Gear.
• 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 (126.3 mph).
• Another A4, 'Silver Link', previously holding the world speed record for steam locomotives (112 mph)
• The experimental high-pressure LNER Class W1 'hush-hush' 4-6-4 locomotive
• Silver Jubilee train
• The articulated railway carriage, first used with some conversions of East Coast Joint Stock (ECJS) carriages in 1907, soon followed by conversions of GNR carriages; new articulated carriages being built for the GNR from 1911.^[4]

Locomotives designed by Gresley

LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa, a classic Gresley design, beautifully restored.

See: Locomotives of the London and North Eastern Railway

GNR

• GNR 536 Class (LNER Class J6) 0-6-0 (1911)
• GNR Class K1 2-6-0 (1912)
• GNR Class J2 0-6-0 (1912)
• GNR Class O3 2-8-0 (1913)
• GNR Class H3 (LNER Class K2) 2-6-0 (1914)
• GNR Class J51 0-6-0T (1915)
• GNR Class H4 (LNER Class K3) 2-6-0 (1920)
• GNR Class N2 0-6-2T (1920)
• GNR Class O2 2-8-0 (1921)
• GNR Class J50 0-6-0T (1922)
• GNR Class A1 4-6-2 (1922)

LNER

• LNER Class P1 2-8-2 (1925)
• LNER Class U1 Garratt 2-8-0+0-8-2 (1925)
• LNER Class J38 0-6-0 (1926)
• LNER Class J39 0-6-0 (1926)
• LNER Class A3 4-6-2 (1927)
• LNER Class D49 4-4-0 (1927)
• LNER Class B17 4-6-0 (1928)
• LNER Class V1 2-6-2T (1930)
• LNER Class P2 2-8-2 (1934)
• LNER Class A4 4-6-2 (1935)
• LNER Class V2 2-6-2 (1936)
• LNER Class W1 4-6-4 (1937)
• LNER Class K4 2-6-0 (1937)
• LNER Class V3 2-6-2T (1939)
• LNER Class V4 2-6-2 (1941)
• LNER No. 6701 Bo+Bo electric locomotive (1941)

References

1. ^ biography accessed 15 November 2007
2. ^ London Gazette: no. 34307. p. 4669. 21 July 1936. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
3. ^ Don Hale, Mallard, Aurum Press, 2005, ISBN 1-85410-939-1 pages 51-52
4. ^ Harris, Michael (1995). Great Northern Railway and East Coast Joint Stock Carriages from 1905. Headington: Oakwood Press. pp. 17,101,107. ISBN 0 85361 477 6. X56. 

Further reading

• Hughes, Geoffrey (2001). Sir Nigel Gresley: The Engineer and his Family. The Oakwood Library of Railway History. Usk: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0 85361 579 9. OL118. 

External links

• Comprehensive biography

Business positions
Preceded by Henry Ivatt	Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Northern Railway 1911-1922	Succeeded by (LNER)
Preceded by (GNR)	Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway 1923-1941	Succeeded by Edward Thompson
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by Major-General Alexander Elliott Davidson	President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1936	Succeeded by Sir John Thornycroft

Persondata
Name	Gresley, Nigel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 June 1876
Place of birth	Edinburgh
Date of death	5 April 1941
Place of death