Sir Nigel Gresley

Sustaining the legacy

All Gresley locomotives carry ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboards today

Doncaster, UK – 19 June 2026: The Gresley Society is delighted to confirm that every surviving and new-build Gresley-designed locomotive in operational condition, under overhaul, in build or on public display is carrying a specially commissioned ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboard today, Friday 19 June 2026.

The Gresley Society was founded in 1963 to honour the life and works of Sir Nigel Gresley CBE (19 June 1876 – 5 April 1941), one of Britain’s greatest locomotive engineers and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). Amongst his many achievements, he designed class A3 No. 4472/60103 Flying Scotsman (the world’s most famous steam locomotive) and No. 4468/60022 Mallard (holder of the world speed record for steam locomotives since 1938).

The following locomotives are proudly displaying the headboards, faithfully replicating the elegant pre-World War II LNER style with Gill Sans lettering:

  • LNER class A3 No. 4472/60103 Flying Scotsman (National Railway Museum, York) 
  • LNER class A4 No. 4498/60007 Sir Nigel Gresley (SNGLT, Crewe)  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4468/60022 Mallard (National Railway Museum, York)  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4464/60019 Bittern (Locomotive Services Ltd, Crewe)  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4488/60009 Union of South Africa (John Cameron, Balbuthie, Fife)  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4489/60010 Dominion of Canada (Exporail, Canadian Railway Museum, Quebec, Canada)  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4496/60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower (National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA)  
  • LNER class D49 No. 246/62712 Morayshire (SRPS, Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway)  
  • LNER class K4 No. 3442/61994 The Great Marquess (John Cameron, Balbuthie, Fife)  
  • GNR/LNER class N2 No. 1744/4744/69523 (North Norfolk Railway – owned by the Gresley Society)  
  • LNER class V2 No. 4771/60800 Green Arrow (Danum Museum, Doncaster – owned by NRM)  
  • LNER class B17 No. 2873/61673 Spirit of Sandringham (B17SLT new-build project, Sheffield)  
  • LNER class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales (A1SLT new-build project, Darlington)  
  • BR class EM1 No. 26020/76020 (National Railway Museum, York)  
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27000/1502 Electra (EM2LS, Midland Railway Centre, Butterley) 
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27001/1505 Ariadne (Science and Industry Museum, Manchester) 
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27003/1501 Diana (Utrecht Railway Museum, Netherlands)  
  • BR class 306 No. 306017 (Locomotion, Shildon)

In addition, both No.1 Green Goddess and No.2 Northern Chief on the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway in Kent are wearing a smaller version of the ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboards. These 15in gauge locomotive are effectively one-third scale versions of Gresley class A1 ‘Pacifics’ and Sir Nigel Gresley visited the line on several occasions.

The Severn Valley Railway is also joining the celebrations and has produced 14 commemorative destination boards in Garter Blue with Gill Sans white letters for its seven Gresley-designed carriages which will be in traffic on the anniversary, currently the longest set of LNER carriages in the country. These will remain on the vehicles for up to five years.

This truly international celebration highlights the global reach of Sir Nigel Gresley’s engineering legacy, with headboards being displayed not only across the United Kingdom but also on locomotives preserved in Canada (Dominion of Canada), the United States (Dwight D. Eisenhower), and the Netherlands (Diana).

Both No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley and No. 60103 Flying Scotsman are on display, wearing their commemorative ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboards, at the Doncaster Site Celebration Event organised by Wabtec UK and City of Doncaster Council at the Doncaster ‘Plant’ Works on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 June 2026.

Model versions of the headboard, produced to the same high standards by Fox Transfers, have also been produced in O, OO, TT120 and N scales and are available to purchase via the Gresley Society website (www.gresley.org). The Gresley Society encourages modellers across all scales to fit the headboards to their models and share photographs of Gresley locomotives on social media using the hashtag #Gresley150. Posts are invited on the Society’s official channels (@TheGresleySociety on Facebook, @gresleysociety on Instagram, and @GresleySociety on X) to create a national digital gallery celebrating the occasion.

Philip Benham MBE, Chairman of The Gresley Society, commented:  

“On Friday 19 June we mark 150 years since the birth of Sir Nigel Gresley. It is tremendously fitting that all the surviving and new-build Gresley locomotives will carry these specially designed anniversary headboards in authentic LNER style. We look forward to seeing the photographs from custodians and operators, as well as the many wonderful images from modellers and enthusiasts using #Gresley150.”

There are wider celebrations to mark the anniversary, too. The modern-day LNER is unveiling a newly named train dedicated to the life and influence of Sir Nigel Gresley which will soon travel the length of the East Coast Main Line, carrying thousands of customers a year. 

The 150th anniversary celebrations continue on Saturday 20 June 2026 with a symposium and 1930s-themed gala dinner at the Mansion House in Doncaster, forming a highlight of the year-long programme under the strapline “A Legacy of Innovation, Speed and Elegance”.