Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway (GNR) was a British railway company incorporated in 1846 with the object of building a line from London to York. It quickly saw that seizing control of territory was key to development, and it acquired, or took leases of, many local railways, whether actually built or not. In so doing, it overextended itself financially.
Great Northern Railway express locomotive (type GNR Stirling 4-2-2).
The Bennerley Viaduct on the Awsworth Junction to Derby Branch in 2006
King's Cross station, 2014
The former GNR works at Boston, Lincolnshire
Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley was a British railway engineer. He was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific engines. An A1 Pacific, Flying Scotsman, was the first steam locomotive officially recorded over 100 mph in passenger service, and an A4, number 4468 Mallard, still holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world (126 mph).
Nigel Gresley
No. 4472 Flying Scotsman
Salisbury Hall, Gresley's home during the 1930s
Memorial plaque to Gresley's achievements displayed in the main hall of Edinburgh's Waverley railway station