Hornby R3395TTS LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 4468 Mallard Era 3 Model Train

Hornby R3395TTS LNER A4 Class 4-6-2 4468 Mallard Era 3 Model Train

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.