For a new non-stop train between London and Glasgow, the LMS commissioned a new Pacific in the mid-1930s, which was supposed to be stronger, more reliable and easier to maintain than the Princess Royal. The train was called “Coronation Scot” and the locomotive “Coronation class”. The ten locomotives from the first batch and ten more from a later batch were built streamlined. This was apparently not planned at the beginning, but was subsequently decided due to the public appeal of the competing LNER A4.

No. 6241 “City of Edinburgh” with streamlining

flickr/Historical Railway Images

No. 6220 “Coronation” achieved a British record of 114 mph (183 km/h) in 1937, which only lasted one year. Another record was also broken in 1939 with 2,511 hp on the drawbar, which still stands today for British steam locomotives. The streamlined paneling was removed from all locomotives by 1948 because the advantages over the much more complicated maintenance were limited. Most were scrapped between 1962 and 1964 after they were replaced by electric locomotives and no further use could be found. No. 6233 “Duchess of Sutherland” is the only one of the three surviving that was operational in 2023, but was withdrawn without further notice.