Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley (19 June 1876 – 5 April 1941) was one of Britain's most famous
steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the
London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the
LNER Class A1 and
LNER Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific engines. An A1 pacific,
Flying Scotsman, was the first steam locomotive officially recorded over 100 mph in passenger service, and an A4, number 4468
Mallard, still holds the record for being the fastest steam locomotive in the world (126 mph).