LNER A3 "Flying Scotsman"

Aster A3 Pacific was 2002's hit model

Important information about the Aster BR version
A3 'Flying Scotsman'

The BR version has a 'streamlined' tender rather than the corridor tender of the LNER version. Drive is now left hand and a double chimney with smoke deflectors are featured too.

Click hereto see some pictures of one of the first A3's to be delivered in the UK.

Here are two new pictures of an A3 in early BR Apple Green

Below are some notes written prior to the launch of the LNER version in July 2002

Tuning Tips – Aster LNER A3

This link will take you to the tips page.

Checking out the real one.

As readers of these notes will probably know, Gresley originally developed the Class A1 as a mainline express locomotive at the very end of the lifetime of the Great Northern Railway. The first in the series was No 1470 ‘Great Northern’ of 1922. This was followed one year later (when the GNR had become part of the LNER) by what has surely become the World’s most famous steam locomotive – No.4472 ‘Flying Scotsman’. Many more examples were added to the class in the 1920’s and into the early 30’s, first as Class A1 and then subsequently with higher pressure boilers and altered valve gear as Class A3. Incidentally, most but not all were named after racehorses.

The other great Gresley innovation was the adoption of the famous 2:1 conjugated valve gear to drive the third inside cylinder. Although Gresley had developed the idea in his GNR days after World War 1, it was with the A1 and A3 classes that the concept came into its own.

1928 saw the inception of a non-stop service between London (Kings Cross) and Edinburgh (Waverley) a distance of nearly 400 miles.. To permit change of crew whilst on the move, Nigel Gresley conceived a tender with a corridor running down the right hand side. 10 of these famous corridor tenders were built for the service and fitted to the class A1 and later to the A3’s. Since the new non-stop service was called The Flying Scotsman it comes as no surprise that locomotive 4472 – ‘Flying Scotsman’ was chosen to launch the service in May of that year.

The Aster A3 - Andrew's comments in 2001:-

What about the Aster model? Well my good friend Mr Sasaki, senior designer at Aster Hobby Co. Inc. has really excelled himself with this offering! The Aster model has three cylinders and incorporates the famous 2:1 conjugated valve gear on the middle cylinder. The corridor tender has also been modelled and the whole ensemble looks very convincing indeed. I received a pre-production prototype for analysis and comment in July 2001 and I can honestly say that myself and everyone who have seen it are highly impressed with the model. Certainly some of the boiler fittings are more than a little curious, as these illustrations will reveal but these shortcomings will be corrected on the final production version. Track performance has been outstanding with six beats clearly audible and no slipping which could become a problem with the Aster A4 of 1984.

Brief Specification.

Cylinders: Three - 12mm bore x 20mm stroke.

Valve gear: Walschaert valve gear to outside cylinders, Gresley / Holcroft conjugated valve gear to inside cylinder.

Boiler: ‘C’ type alcohol fired. Capacity 250cc at 70%. Boiler fittings include regulator, blower, water gauge and pressure gauge.

Axle driven pump on locomotive.

Fuel tank and water tank with hand pump in tender.

Lubricator: Displacement oil reservoir and pressurising valve in cab.

Some more photographs of the A3
Above is a view showing the Gresley conjugated valve gear driving the middle cylinder...	A view of the backhead.

View of the underside of the locomotive...

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Aster A3 Pacific was 2002's hit model

Some more photographs of the A3