A1 Trust’s £75k fundraising appeal to connect new works

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has launched a £75,000 fundraiser to ensure that its new purpose-built showpiece works is connected to the national network.

Located within the Darlington Railway Heritage Quarter and owned by Darlington Borough Council, the £4.5 million development will provide many of the facilities needed by the trust for building and operating its steam locomotives. New-build A1 Pacific No.60163 Tornado will be shedded there for maintenance and stabling.

While the building has been largely funded by grant aid and the council, the trust has agreed to contribute to ensure that the site has a main line rail connection, running track, inspection pits, and more, ensuring a long-term home for the trust at a peppercorn rent for many years.

Join the gang

The trust will raise funds in three phases, the first being for the running line, allowing locomotive movement around the site and live steam rides.

Looking to raise the initial £75,000, the trust is inviting the public to ‘Join the P-Way Gang’ to cover materials and the transportation of rails and sleepers.

Indeed, the first delivery of rails arrived at the site on October 10, after the trust negotiated with Network Rail to buy nearly 12,000ft of rails cascaded from the Northumberland Line Project renewal programme, to be added to about 3600ft of sleepers acquired last year, which are at Ferryhill awaiting transfer to Darlington. The trust also obtained 375 sleepers from Nexus, which were delivered to the site earlier this summer.

Railway Heritage Quarter build contractor Willmott Dixon will lay the rails into the floor imminently, and so the trust appealing for support now. While any contributions are welcome, the minimum donation for full P-Way Gang membership is £500. A £750 donation sponsors a 60ft rail with the donor’s name next to that section on the track plan displayed in the new building.

2023 target

The trust expects to move into the new premises in spring 2023 and complete the new Gresley P2 2-8-2 No.2007 Prince of Wales there.

The new works will have a viewing gallery and be linked by a footbridge to the rest of the heritage quarter site, including the Head of Steam Museum and North Road Station.

The current Darlington Locomotive Works located in the former carriage works in Hopetown Lane will, once vacated by the trust, will become an exhibition space within the new quarter.

“On the eve of the Stockton and Darlington bicentennial, the legacy of this project will live on to ensure the future of new-build steam in Darlington and ensuring that the Darlington Railway Heritage Quarter functions as a live steam destination for the UK, as well as a national and international visitor centre,” read a trust statement.

➜ To join the P-Way Gang or to help with the appeal and pledge your support to the trust’s aims, visit www. a1steam.com/tornado/supportus/a-new-home-for-the-trust/750donations

A1SLT The state-of-the-art locomotive works for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust seen in October and rapidly taking shape – but £75,000 must be raised to provide a main line connection.