Sir Nigel Gresley

Sustaining the legacy

Gresley Locomotives to Carry ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ Headboards 

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Doncaster, UK – 19 April 2026: The Gresley Society, founded in 1963 to honour the life and works of Sir Nigel Gresley, is proud to announce a distinctive tribute to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth 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).

On Friday 19 June 2026, all surviving and new build steam locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley that are in operational condition or on public display will be adorned with a specially commissioned ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboard. The headboards faithfully replicate the elegant pre-World War II LNER style used on the railway’s prestigious named expresses, evoking the golden age of steam travel with its characteristic Gill Sans typography and design.

Model headboards are also now available to purchase from the Gresley Society in OO, O, TT120 and N gauges – modellers and enthusiasts are encouraged to share their photographs on social media using #Gresley150.

The headboards will appear on the following surviving Gresley-designed locomotives (locations current as of early 2026; subject to operational schedules):

  • LNER class A3 No. 4472/60103 Flying Scotsman – preserved at the National Railway Museum, York, frequently operating mainline tours and heritage railway visits.  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4498/60007 Sir Nigel Gresley – preserved by the SNGLT and based at Crewe with Locomotive Services Ltd, frequently operating mainline tours and heritage railway visits.  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4468/60022 Mallard – National Collection, currently on static display at the National Railway Museum, York.  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4464/60019 Bittern – based at Crewe with Locomotive Services Ltd, under overhaul.  
  • LNER class A4 No. 4488/60009 Union of South Africa – preserved by Society President John Cameron and after a long main line career is now preserved on his farm at Balbuthie in Fife.
  • LNER class A4 No. 4489/60010 Dominion of Canada – preserved at the Exporail: the Canadian Railway Museum at Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada.
  • LNER class A4 No. 4496/60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower (formerly Golden Shuttle) – preserved at the National Railroad Museum at Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
  • LNER class D49 No. 246/62712 Morayshire – owned by the National Museums of Scotland and undergoing overhaul on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway.
  • LNER class K4 No. 3442/61994 The Great Marquess – owned by Society President John Cameron and after a long main line career is now preserved on his farm at Balbuthie in Fife.
  • GNR/LNER N2 0-6-2T No. 1744/4744/ 69523 (the oldest surviving Gresley locomotive, owned by the Gresley Society) – North Norfolk Railway, currently under overhaul but expected to be in traffic by the anniversary.  
  • LNER class V2 LNER No. 4771/60800 Green Arrow – part of the National Collection and after many years of main line operation is now on display at the Danum Museum, Doncaster.
  • LNER class B17 No. 2873/61673 Spirit of Sandringham – new build project by The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust based in Sheffield.
  • LNER class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales – new build project launched in 2013 by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust based in Darlington.
  • BR class EM1 No. 26020/76020 – part of the National Collection, currently on static display at the National Railway Museum, York.
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27000/1502 Electra – at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley.
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27001/1505 Ariadne – at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.
  • BR/NS class EM2 No. 27003/1501 Diana – preserved in the Utrecht Railway Museum, Netherlands.
  • BR class 306 No. 306017 – preserved at Locomotion, Shildon.

To complement the full-size tribute and bring the celebration to enthusiasts of all ages, the Gresley Society has commissioned high-quality model versions of the ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboard. Manufactured to exacting standards by Fox Transfers, these are available to purchase now from the Gresley Society website (gresley.org) and in the following popular scales:

  • 7 mm (0 gauge): £15.00  
  • 4 mm (00 gauge): £10.00  
  • TT120: £7.50  
  • 2 mm (N gauge): £7.50  

These model headboards allow modellers to mark the anniversary on their own layouts in a historically authentic manner. ‘The Gresley Society’ headboards are also available in the same scales and at the same prices.

This initiative is set in the context of the remarkable range of Gresley locomotive models now available to enthusiasts. In 00 gauge alone, manufacturers such as Hornby, Bachmann, and others offer detailed models of class A1/A3 4-6-2 ‘Pacifics’ (including Flying Scotsman), class A4 streamlined ‘Pacifics’ (including Mallard and Sir Nigel Gresley), class V2 2-6-2 ‘Praries’ (including Green Arrow), and various tank and tender locomotives. Similar high-quality options exist in 0 gauge, N gauge, and the increasingly popular TT120 scale, enabling thousands of modellers to recreate classic LNER scenes with ever increasing accuracy. The new anniversary headboards provide a simple yet striking way to theme layouts and displays for the 2026 celebrations.

Modellers across all scales are encouraged to fit the headboards to their Gresley locomotives and share photographs of their creations on social media using the hashtag #Gresley150. The Gresley Society invites posts on its official channels to help build a national gallery of tributes.

The 150th anniversary celebrations continue throughout 2026 under the strapline “A Legacy of Innovation, Speed and Elegance”, with events including a major exhibition at Danum Gallery in Doncaster, a symposium and dinner, and further activities in partnership with heritage railways, museums and societies.

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

“The 150th anniversary of Sir Nigel Gresley’s birth provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate his extraordinary legacy of engineering excellence. We are delighted that all surviving and new build Gresley locomotives will carry the special ‘Gresley 150 Anniversary’ headboard on 19 June 2026, in authentic pre-war LNER style.  

“These high-quality model headboards, available in O, OO, TT120 and N gauges, allow enthusiasts and modellers everywhere to join the celebration on their own layouts. We warmly encourage everyone to fit the headboards to their models and share photographs on social media using the hashtag #Gresley150, helping to create a lasting digital tribute to one of Britain’s greatest locomotive engineers.”

For further details on the headboards, the anniversary programme, or membership of the Gresley Society, please visit gresley.org. The Gresley Society has a presence on Facebook (@The Gresley Society), Instagram (@gresleysociety) and X (@GresleySociety).