The LNER 2-6-2 Prairies

Apart from a solitary experimental Midland Railway locomotive locomotive built in 1908, no 2-6-2 tender locomotives ran in Britain until 1936 when Gresley adopted the type in preference to the 4-6-0 for a powerful three-cylinder mixed traffic design. The 184 2-6-2s built outnumbered both Pacifics and 4-6-0s delivered under his regime. Another two three-cylinder 2-6-2s for secondary lines followed in 1941 before the LNER, now under Thompson, switched to the two-cylinder 4-6-0, leaving the British 2-6-2 type almost exclusively associated with Gresley.

2-6-2 Tender Locomotives

ClassBuilderDesignerFirst Built Last WithdrawlComments
V2 LNER Gresley 1936 1965  'Green Arrow' Class 
V4 LNER Gresley 1941 1956  'Bantam Cock' Class 

2-6-2 Tank and Miscellaneous Locomotives

Despite being popular on the Great Western Railway (GWR), production Prairie tank engines were not seen on LNER metals until Gresley introduced Britain's only three-cylinder version in 1930, 92 being built for suburban passenger work. Although the Kitson-Still 2-6-2T hauled revenue-earning trains during the early 1930s, this was always an experimental locomotive.

ClassBuilderDesignerFirst Built Last WithdrawlComments
V1 LNER Gresley 1930 1961
V3 LNER Gresley 1939 1963
Kitson-Still Kitson&Co, Leeds 1927 1935 Experimental steam-diesel hybrid.
1-Co-1 Armstrong Whitworth 1933 1934 Experimental diesel-electric