NEW-BUILD NEWS
Tenders invited for No. 2007’s boiler
IT WILL INCORPORATE A NUMBER OF MINOR MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE SINCE BEEN APPLIED TO TORNADO’S BOILER
Manufacturers have been invited to tender for the construction of the boiler for ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales, and all the heavy motion forgings have been ordered. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has sent the arrangement drawing for the boiler to ten potential candidates in the UK and overseas, but remains open to approaches from other interested parties. It is anticipated that the supplier will be selected by the end of this year, and that a firm order will be placed in June 2019 after technical specifications are finalised, with delivery to take place by January 2021 – the year in which the Gresley 2‑8‑2 will be completed. The boiler will be of a fully welded design with a steel firebox, and interchangeable with the Diagram 118A boiler built for Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado by DB Dampflokwerk Meiningen in Germany in 2006/7. It will incorporate a number of minor modifications that have since been applied to Tornado’s boiler, and will retain the same 250lbs/sq. in pressure – increasing the power and economy of No. 2007 over the original ‘P2s’, whose boiler pressure was 220lbs/sq. in. The trust has placed a £220,000 order with Stephenson Engineering of Atherton, Manchester, for the forging, machining and heat treatment of the ‘P2’s’ nine rods – the left and right‑hand leading, intermediate and trailing coupling rods, left and right‑hand outside connecting rods, and the inside connecting rod assembly – together with the combined pistons and rods. The components are expected to be delivered in batches between December 2018 and December 2019. The motion is being paid for by the ‘Motion Club’, launched in April to raise £210,000 from 175 supporters donating £1,000 each plus Gift Aid (SR479). Seven weeks after its launch, it had passed the 25% mark and, as this issue went to press, was just under 30%. Placing the order for the motion in 2018, as planned, keeps the project on schedule for completion in 2021, with the frames expected to be wheeled in mid to late July. At the Buckfastleigh workshops of South Devon Railway Engineering, all the wheelsets – including the driving and pony truck wheelsets – are assembled and have their tyres fitted, with the first crankpins due to be added to the coupled wheels as this issue went to press. The ‘Boiler Club’ has over half of its £600,000 target figure pledged with almost 160 of 300 supporters signed up; while the ‘Dedicated Donations’ component sponsorship scheme has raised over £225,000. The ‘P2’ for the price of a pint’ regular donation scheme now has over 860 covenantors. For details of the clubs, covenantor scheme, and components to sponsor, email enquiries@p2steam.com, visit www. p2steam.com or call 01325 460163.