speeds of over 60 mph were noted, with 55 mph on a 1 in 100 gradient, and an average speed of . Despite the vehicle's long wheelbase (), and the frequent curves on the route, Livesay did not report any serious problems with ride quality. On the return trip, with a load of 360 tons gross, he recorded a peak of 68 mph on a 1 in 100 down section, with an average speed of 38 mph including several stops and speed restrictions. Livesay reported favourably on the acceleration of the train, recording 50 mph reached from standstill over 1.25 miles, with 60 mph reached in under 2 miles. Further Edinburgh to Dundee and return runs were made in the afternoon with 355 and 450 ton gross loads, recording average speeds of 40.25 and 33 mph respectively. Rebuilding The class was rebuilt into Class A2/2 4-6-2 'Pacifics' during 1943/4. According to B. Spencer, an LNER employee, the class was rebuilt due to reliability problems during the difficult conditions of the World War II period, and additionally to take the opportunity to try out a different valve gear arrangement. Other sources supposed that the rebuilding might be because the class's wheelbase was too long for the routes it worked, and that the railway would have been better served if the class had been transferred to more suitable routes. Railway author O. S. Nock suggested that Gresley's successor, Edward Thompson, may have made largely unsubstantiated criticisms of the class in order to justify the rebuilding. According to O. Bulleid, the class were not an inefficient design but had been placed into services in which they were under-utilised, leading to poor fuel economy. Locomotives New build P2 proposals No original members of the class were preserved, as all were rebuilt into LNER A2/2 Pacifics by 1944. However, two new engines are now being built: one by the P2 Steam Locomotive Company in the original shape (LNER P2 Class 2007 Prince of Wales), to be numbered 2007 as a new member of the class; and the other by the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust as a replica of No. 2001 "Cock o' the North" in streamlined condition. The P2 Steam Locomotive Company In 2010 the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, who were responsible for the construction of 60163 Tornado, announced plans to hold a feasibility study into building a new P2 class locomotive, which would be