Engine’s progress steams ahead
CONSTRUCTION of a new steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley has reached a major milestone as a key coupling component has been delivered
The new Gresley class P2 steam locomotive No 2007 Prince of Wales is currently being constructed in a yard in Darlington and has reached a state where it is “recognisably a P2”.
It comes as all six coupling rods – a key component in the train’s construction – have now been delivered to the site.
It came as funding reached almost £4million, with The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust saying construction is now around two-thirds complete.
The steam engine was designed by South Derbyshire engineer Sir Nigel Gresley, who is remembered in Swadlincote with the town’s Wetherspoon pub named after him.
A spokesperson from A1 said: “The engine has reached the condition where it is recognisably a P2 and the structurally complete tender tank and tender wheelsets are now at Darlington Locomotive Works.
“Construction and assembly work continue on all fronts, including boiler, wheelsets, tender frames, heavy motion, pipework and electricals. Design work for the extensively modified and the improved cylinder block is complete, with the focus now turned to adaptation of the Lentz rotary cam poppet valve gear to further improve the original design.”
The engine is being manufactured at the Darlington workshop and has been in development since April 2018. Six class P2s were built in 1934-36 for the London and North Eastern Railway line but the design was never fully developed.
Director of P2 Engineering David Elliott said: “The delivery of the final pair of coupling rods for Prince of Wales is a major step forward for the project, especially given the limitations of working during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The machining of each rod by Stephenson (Engineering) takes around 100 hours. The next few months will see the completion of all of the heavy motion and the trial fitting of the coupling rods to the engine – creating the first tender-engine standard gauge ‘Mikado’ in the UK since 1945.”
A trustee at the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, Mark Allatt, said: “We are delighted with the support the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has received since its launch over seven years ago.
“With over £3.4 million spent and around £3.9 million donated to-date of the estimated
£5 million required, we remain on track for completion within three years.
“However, to maintain this progress we need to raise £700,000 per year and we are still seeking to recruit members of the Motion Club in order to complete the funding for the heavy motion as well as additional ‘P2 for the price of a pint of beer a week’ regular donors or covenantors.”