£700K A YEAR NEEDED TO STEAM PRINCE OF WALES IN THREE YEARS
£700,000 a year needs to be raised if new-build ‘P2’ No. 2007 is to steam in 2022 or 2023 as hoped.
Although nearly £3 million has been raised and almost £3.75m pledged towards the Gresley 2-8-2 – representing nearly three-quarters of the locomotive’s total £5m cost – the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust says that in order to complete the project within three years, “we must raise at least £700,000 every year – a figure we are yet to achieve.”
Currently, the group’s annual fundraising total stands at around £500,000.
Its latest fundraising scheme is a £40,000 ‘Turbogen Club’, to pay for the first of two turbo-generators for the ‘P2’.
Based on the German design fitted to the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s Peppercorn ‘Pacific’
No. 60163 Tornado, the steam turbine generators will power the £350,000 electrical system for No. 2007, including main line safety equipment and LED lighting. The locomotive will also have an axledriven alternator.
The trust is seeking 40 supporters donating £1,000 each plus Gift Aid, in return for incentives including reserved seats on one of the ‘P2’s’ first trains, a limited edition coaster and an invitation to the first official run of the generator.
Another of the group’s fundraising schemes – the Motion Club – is nearing its target, with just two places left to reach its target of 175 members and raise a total of £210,000 to pay for the ‘Mikado’s’ motion. Four of the coupling rods have been forged and are currently being machined at Stephenson Engineering of Atherton, Manchester.
The Boiler Club has recruited 197 members, almost two-thirds of its target of 300, but the Tender Club is “filling up rather slowly” with 68 of 250 places taken. In contrast, the Pony Truck Club reached its target of 20 supporters in just two weeks (SR506) and North View Engineering Solutions is now fabricating the main pony truck frame.
For details of the clubs and ‘Dedicated Donations’ component sponsorship scheme, call 01325 460163 or visit www.p2steam.com