Ex-LNER Raven/Gresley 'A8' class 4-6-2 Tank No. 69861. Built at Darlington in Aug. 1935 as LNER No. 2154 and withdrawn in June 1960. The 45 Gresley 'A8' Pacific Tanks had previously been ex-North Eastern Railway Raven 'H1' class 4-4-4 Tanks, rebuilt to 'A8s' in the 1930s. The change was largely because the adhesion of the 4-4-4s was inferior to a 4-6-2 arrangement. This had been identified by the LNER when the 'H1s' were compared with the ex-Great Central Railway 'A5s'. The very recognisable water tower at York MPD provides a characteristic backdrop to 69861 in June 1957.

© Stephen Barrett Archive-SA Collection