FIRST CYLINDER COMPONENTS FOR £2.1M-PLUS ‘P2’
‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales has had its cylinder covers cast – the first components for its Gresley ‘monobloc’.
The three covers were produced in Spheroidal Graphite Iron by H. Downs & Sons foundry of Huddersfield, using a pattern made by John Hazlehurst of Swineshead, near Boston.
The delivery of the covers coincided with the news that the money spent to date on the LNER 2-8-2 had passed the £2.1 million mark – 42% of the £5m total required. Including Gift Aid, £2.5m has been raised.
Following the wheeling of the ‘Mikado’ and the trial-fitting of its boiler cladding (SR483/485), Ian Matthews has been making the balance weights for the driving wheels, as well as fitting the front of the cab to the cladding and preparing the spectacles for the fitting of the window frames.
Design work on the threecylinder ‘monobloc’ is ongoing, while Daniela Filová is producing drawings for the outside motion brackets and pony truck frame.
The tender axles have been delivered and will be sent with the wheels to South Devon Railway Engineering for assembly. Quotes are being sought for construction of the tender tank.
Alan Parkin, who is designing the locomotive’s electrical system, has visited the National Railway Museum to gather data for his 3D model of an original LNER lamp, on which No. 2007’s combined head, tail and marker lights will be modelled.
The first of two Finnish
air pumps (SR475) has been overhauled at Meiningen Works.