New Gresley ‘P2’ ‘Mikado’ on course as cylinders and boiler take shape

THE project to build new Gresley ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales is now two-thirds complete, with over £4m of the estimated required £6m raised since it was launched in September 2013. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT) is constructing the 2-8-2 at Darlington Locomotive Works. The engineering team has completed the considerable amount of work involved in converting the original class ‘P2’ monobloc cylinder casting into a welded fabrication. This has included: Finite Element Analysis to check for structural integrity; improving the layout of the valves to reduce the clearance volume, which affects cylinder efficiency); rerouting the steam and exhaust passages to physically separate them to prevent incoming steam from heating the outgoing exhaust; increasing the size and improve internal streamlining of steam passages along Chapelon lines to increase maximum power and improve economy; and reducing the overall width of the cylinder block to provide Prince of Wales with the widest possible route availability on the main line.

Progress

Manufacturing of the cylinder block is now underway at Howco, Irvine. Design efforts are currently focused on the adaptation of the Lentz rotary cam poppet valve gear to overcome deficiencies in the original design. Meanwhile, the boiler for No. 2007 is due for delivery from DB Meiningen, Germany in summer 2022. Mark Allatt, trustee, A1SLT said: “The trial fitting of the coupling rods and pony truck to the engine for the first time for the trust’s annual convention on September 25 is a very significant milestone. “We still have another £2m to raise and so I would encourage potential supporters to get on board by becoming a ‘P2 for the price of a pint of beer a week’ donor, joining one of our fundraising clubs or sponsoring a specific component through our dedicated donation scheme.” Visit www.p2steam.com or call 01325 460163 for details of how you can help.