Cock O’ The North locomotive LNER 2001 (Märklin L70-12920LNER)
| Star Exhibit |
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Cock O’ The North locomotive LNER 2001 (Märklin L70-12920LNER) |
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| Arch Three , Area 63 1930s Layout, goods side |
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1936 cover of the Model Engineer Exhibition catalogue, showing the new, exciting Cock O' The North locomotive [image info]
A rare apple-green, gauge 0 model of the P2 "Mikado" (2-8-2) type "Cock O' The North" locomotive made by Märklin in 1937 as model number L 70/12920 LNER, LNER 2001. For buyers who liked the loco but didn't want it in obviously British livery (for instance, Märklin customers who had "German"-themed layouts), Märklin also supplied it in a more anonymous dull black as L 70/12920.
This is probably the single most valuable gauge 0 loco in the museum.
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The Märklin "scale" gauge 0 range
At nearly two feet long, this was one of four "big" gauge 0 electric-only models honoured in the English 1936 Märklin catalogue with the term "scale models". These four steam locomotives were selected to represent the most impressive and prestigious examples of steam locomotive engineering running the rails in Germany, France, Britain and the US, and consisted of Cock 'O' The North (for Britain), Commodore Vanderbilt (for the USA), a Mountain Etat (for France), and a streamliner (Borzig?) (for Germany).
By 1939 (perhaps due to the rise in German nationalism and the growing possibility of war) , the two German and French locomotives remained in the German catalogue, but their two British and American siblings had been withdrawn.
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The original locomotive
This heavy-duty express LNER loco ran Scottish passenger services through the Highlands between Edinburgh and Aberdeen from 1934, and was the first of six P2-class locomotives (#2001-#2006) designed to deal with the difficult route, which required high traction without excessive weight, and had previously been serviced with a pair of locomotives per train.
The design was inspired by French success with 4-8-0 configuration locomotives on some similarly difficult French routes.
Restoration and recreation projects
The Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust currently have a project to rebuild an entire working replica of the P2 Cock O' The North locomotive, although this will probably be in the revised "Fat A4"/"Fat Mallard" style rather than the more distinctive "winged head" smoke-deflector configuration usually associated with COTN.
External links
- The Gresley P2 Passenger 2-8-2 (Mikado) Locomotives (lner.info)
- "COCK O' THE NORTH" - "Secrets of One of Britain's Most Famous Locomotives", by Frederick Arthur Talbot, from "Railway Wonders of the World" (railwaywondersoftheworld.com)
- page from "Modern Wonder" Magazine, 1937, p400- (p2steam.com)
- LNER Class P2 (Wikipedia)
visiting France
- LNER P2 class 2-8-2 No.2001 'Cock o' the North' seen in 1934 leaving Paris on a test train during its visit to northern France (railart.co.uk)
- Giant Engine In France For Tests 1934 (britishpathe.com) – video, silent 1934 newsreel film
P2 rebuild project
- Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust - Cock O' The North (cockothenorth.co.uk)
- New Build Steam website newbuildsteam.com)
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