BR (ex GNR) Gresley A3 class 4-6-2 no. 60102 Sir Frederick Banbury. The loco chassis of this model was built by the late Wally West, using top quality cast metal wheels by Allan Harris (AGH). Wally part-built three Gresley Pacifics at the same time. Great Northern and Robert the Devil have been completed for some time and appear elsewhere on the pages of this website. The loco body that this chassis was intended for (we believe it was to be an A4) was never completed. The skeleton of an A4 streamlined casing was found after Wally’s passing and putting two and two together that skeleton and this chassis was as far as Wally got with his A4. I was asked by the West family to sell any unfinished models, but the quality of workmanship is so good on this chassis, I couldn’t resist buying it for myself. By coincidence, I already had a Martin Finney part built A3 kit, which was in a right old mess, especially the chassis. The body and tender were recoverable however and I have married the three units together and this is the result. Fabulous paintwork by Warren Haywood. Gear and motor unit by ABC.
The full size loco was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1922 as their second Pacific and soon after it was named after the Chairman of the company. Modelled in BR days, it was a long time GC line loco, being allocated to Leicester GC, Neasden, after modification to right hand drive, Leicester GC again, then in 1957 it went to Kings Cross, Doncaster, Grantham, then KX again before withdrawal in 1961. A famous loco, it should have been preserved, as the only original GNR Pacific.
