 On taking up office as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway in April 1941, Edward Thompson proposed an unstreamlined mixed traffic version of Sir Nigel Gresley’s A4 class pacifics with driving wheels, but new construction would not have been authorised at this time.He therefore rebuilt the six of his predecessor P2 Class of 2-8-2 express passenger as pacific locomotives to try out his own thoughts on their design.The P2 Class 2-8-2 had been built between 1934 and 1936 for service between Edinburgh and Aberdeen and had proved to be powerful and capable locomotives.