9th September 2025 “Deltics – Worthy Successors to the A4s?” by Michael Smyth

In a last minute change to our advertised programme, due to speaker illness, Branch Fixtures Secretary Michael Smyth stood in to open our 2025/26 programme with his excellent “Deltics – Worthy Successors to the A4s?” talk.

Michael opened by highlighting the German origins of both the A4s and the Deltics. The A4’s German origin comes from a visit made in the early 1930s by Nigel Gresley to see the ‘Flying Hamburger’ in operation on the Berlin-Hamburg line. Impressed with what he saw, the LNER asked for a quote for sufficient stock for a London to Newcastle service. However, the LNER’s requirements were not met by the proposal, leading Gresley to develop four ‘improved A3s’, which later became the A4, introduced in 1935. In parallel with the introduction of the A4s in 1935 was the inauguration of the ‘Silver Jubilee’ working from Kings Cross to Newcastle, A4-hauled, which brought in a new era of high speed, glamourous rail travel, the like of which has arguably not been seen on Britain’s railways since the onset of the Second World War. The A4s then continued to provide outstanding service on the East Coast Main Line through to their eventual replacement by the Deltics with the Summer 1962 timetable.

The Deltics’ German heritage derives from the Napier company’s acquisition of licenses for German Younger's Yumo 204 and 205 aircraft engines in 1933, leading to Napier’s development of two-stroke diesel engines and ultimately to the 18 cylinder Deltic engine. Initially for marine applications, the installation of two such engines in a locomotive, with unprecedented performance, must surely rate as the pinnacle of British engineering innovation in the 1950s.

The then Eastern Region General Manager, Gerard Fiennes, initiated the acquisitions of the Deltic locomotives by British Railways. Following three successful years with the prototype DP1, on May 1^st 1958 an order was placed with English Electric (who had taken over Napier on 23^rd November 1942) for 22 Deltic locomotives and 13 spare engines. The first of the class, D9000, was delivered to Haymarket on 28^th February 1961 and the last, D9021, to Haymarket on 2^nd May, 1962, making up the full complement for the Summer 1962 timetable. With this timetable, three 6-hour Kings Cross to Edinburgh services were introduced under the accelerated Deltic-hauled service – not forgetting the programme of track renewals and upgrades necessary to support 100 mph running.

The introduction of 32 Brush Type 4s (Class 47) to Finsbury Park in the Autumn of 1962 gave British Railways the confidence to begin withdrawal of the A4s. Kings Cross shed was closed in the Summer of 1963 and 60009 was the last A4 to be overhauled at Doncaster, in November 1963. The last two surviving A4s, 60019 ‘Bittern’ and 60024 ‘Kingfisher’ were withdrawn from BR service on 5^th September 1966.

Meanwhile, the Deltics continued to give outstanding service, well illustrated throughout their career by Michael’s excellent photography. By 1973, British Rail was beginning to experiment with the next generation of high speed traction, including the Experimental Advanced Passenger Train (APT-E) in 1973 and in 1975 the prototype Class 252 High Speed Train.

With the visit of 55006 to Doncaster works in 1975 and the need for an almost complete rebuild, it was becoming apparent that the daily pounding of 100 mph running over the East Coast Main Line was beginning to take its toll on the Deltics.

In October of 1976 the production High Speed Trains (Class 253) entered service on the Western Region, followed in May 1978 by a further batch (Class 254) on the East Coast Main Line. Deltic withdrawals then began with the first two, 55001 ‘St Paddy’ and 55020 ‘Nimbus’ taking place on December 18^th 1979.

Michael amply illustrated the final years of Deltic operation, finishing with their duties on the Hull Executive, the York slows, the final day on January 2^nd 1982 and the slightly macabre open day at Doncaster Works on 27^th February 1982, where the remaining withdrawn Deltics were set out for all to view. Following this were various views of Deltics and A4s in preservation, including some wonderful anecdotes from a member of the audience who drove Deltics on BR, describing how temperamental they were and how their electrical circuits would trip out if they were opened up too quickly before reaching 20 mph!

It was clear beyond any reasonable doubt that Deltics were indeed worthy successors to the A4s, embodying the same spirit of innovation introduced by Gresley and continuing the tradition of glamourous high speed rail travel on the East Coast Main Line.

The evening concluded at 9.35pm with great applause from all present for Michael’s delivery of a rich, wonderfully illustrated talk on both these amazing locomotive classes and for standing in at very short notice.