BR, Thompson Class A2

60501 Cock o' the North spent eighty-three days in Doncaster Works between 24 June and 14 September 1944 being rebuilt to Class A2/2 and received the Diagram 118 boiler during a general overhaul at Doncaster between 17 September and 24 October 1952. 60501 Cock o' the North was allocated to 50A York (North) at this time, mainly working fast goods and slow passenger turns. But there were occasional appearances on southbound York passenger diagrams working to Kings Cross, odd appearances on the Great Central line and the occasional diagram between Leeds and York with Neville Hill crews.

Upon becoming Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LNER, Thompson sought to create an unstreamlined, mixed traffic version of Gresley's A4 Pacific locomotives. Being unable to secure permission to construct new locomotives, Thompson decided to rebuild the 2-8-2 P2 Class locomotives as the new A2/2 Class. Thompson advocated divided drive, a system in which the middle cylinder drove the forward two of the six driving wheels, whilst the outside cylinders drove the middle two. Due to his quest for standardisation, this arrangement necessitated the middle cylinder to be placed further forward than normal and the outside cylinders further back, behind the leading bogie, so that standard connecting rods could be used for all cylinders. Although the new designs retained much of the P2's power despite their lighter weight, wheel slip issues made them unsuitable for the routes the P2s had been designed for. P2 No. 2002 'Earl Marischal' was rebuilt to become a A2/2 in June 1944, before being renumbered 502 in 1946 and 60502 upon the nationalisation of the railways. After becoming a A2/2, 'Earl Marischal' returned to Scotland before being moved south of the border to the York Shed at the end of 1949. The locomotive was withdrawn for service in 1961.

60505 Thane of Fife spent eighty-five days in Doncaster Works being rebuilt as a Class A2/2, the heavy overhaul taking place between 26 October 1942 and 18 January 1943 and the Diagram 118 boiler was fitted during a general overhaul at Doncaster between 29 January and 7 March 1952. 60505 Thane of Fife was allocated to Peterborough's New England shed at this time, home to the 'Lodge Link' crews and as a result, Thane of Fife tended to work longer distance freight and passenger diagrams to Newcastle, as well as working turns to York and Kings Cross.

60512 Steady Aim entered traffic on 24 August 1946 at Gateshead, moving on to Heaton shed on 8th September. On 14 December 1952 Steady Aim was allocated along with three other A2/3s to York shed where, among other duties, it was used on passenger services between Hull and Leeds. The Diagram 118 boiler was fitted to 60512 Steady Aim during a Doncaster Works visit in October/November 1957 and the locomotive finished its days in Scotland, having been allocated to St. Margaret's shed on 2 December 1962 and being withdrawn from service while at Dundee, on 14 June 1965.

60523 Sun Castle entered traffic at Kings Cross on 2 August 1947, spending less than a year on top line services before being allocated to Leeds' Copley Hill shed on 30 May 1948. The Diagram 118 boiler was fitted after a Works visit in February/March 1958, by which time Sun Castle was back on the East Coast Main Line, variously allocated between New England, Grantham and Doncaster sheds. Having served on general duties, 60523 was withdrawn from service on 16 June 1963 from New England shed.