GNR Class O2


The Great Northern Railway Class O2 was a class of three-cylinder 2-8-0 steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley for freight work and built by the GNR from 1921. Further examples were built by the London and North Eastern Railway from 1924.

Sub-classes

The LNER created four subclasses:
The first models of this class were designed and built under GNR ownership, the first locomotive, 461, was built in May 1918. A batch of 10 further O2s was built by the North British Locomotive Co. in 1921.

LNER

Immediately after Grouping, fifteen more O2s were built.
16 more were delivered in 1932/33. Wartime requirements led to the construction of 25 in 1942/43 in three batches.

British Railways

All 67 locomotives passed to British Railways in 1948 and were given BR Numbers 63921-63987, but 63921 was quickly scrapped. They served all across the former LNER from Stratford through East Anglia into the East Midlands, primarily hauling coal and iron ore trains. By winter 1955/56, they had all gravitated to Doncaster, Grantham and Retford. By winter 1962, they were down to 52 locomotives still in much the same locations, the following having been scrapped: 63929/34/44/47/50-55/57-59/70.
By the end of 1963 they were all gone. None of the class were preserved.

Gallery