Construction

Early July progress

Work continued this week with the manufacture of the locomotive’s steam heating pipe – here we see Ian Matthews installing the front two sections on the locomotive.

Following on from the arrival of the new stainless-steel handrail knobs, the first section of new handrail was fitted to the cab.  Work will continue over the coming weeks to make, polish and fit the rest of the handrails.

This is the first section of handrail being polished in the lathe.

We also saw the arrival of the new castings for the cylinder drain cocks.  This week our volunteer team has started to machine the faces of the castings to prepare them for hydraulic testing.  Only once they have passed a hydraulic test will they be fully machined.

The patterns for the new locomotive and tender spring boxes have arrived (locomotive pattern pictured).  We are now in the process of seeking quotes for the castings.

All photos by Richard Pearson.

Late June construction update

The new 1” BSW x 2” long nuts for the Superheater header ‘T’ bolts have arrived and passed inspection.  The ‘T’ bolts themselves aren’t expected for another few weeks – when they arrive, we will be able to carry out the hydraulic test on the header.

The new patterns for the locomotive and tender spring boxes have also arrived.  We’ve also been preparing a number of items for shot blasting – the new cab seat cubicles, the driving wheel balance weights plates, and the guard irons.

Our volunteers have turned their attention to polishing the tyres on the driving wheels.  The photo below shows the mirror finish achieved on the left leading driving wheel.

All photos by Richard Pearson

June construction update

General – We have reached that period in the project where there is a lot of essential but relatively unspectacular work going on including pipework and electrics, brake gear details and fittings. Having said that, the tender tank has been ordered and we are on the cusp of ordering the boiler.

Frames – We have at last received the first of the two outside motion brackets and following inspection, these will be fitted to the frames.

The last of the frame components in the form of the remaining 10 spring hanger brackets have been ordered from North View Engineering Solutions. The original designs used steel castings, however as they are all handed and are mostly different from one another, the pattern costs would be considerable. On first look they are similar to those on Tornado, but on closer examination and resulting in part from the difference in coupled wheel sizes, they are longer from top to bottom than the A1 type, preventing use of the Tornado patterns. They have all been redesigned as welded fabrications and the two pairs which are joined together across the frames – on the P2 by bolting a heavy section angle irons between them, have been replaced by the significantly stronger one-piece design employed on the A1 class.

Two of the spring brackets have bearing housings attached to the back of them to support the brake lever shaft for the rear pair of coupled wheels. As we have modified the design of the brake lever from vacuum to air operation which has slightly altered the distribution of forces in the brake lever shaft, the spring hanger brackets with brake shaft bearings have been subjected to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) by Daniela, which after a subtle improvement to some weld profiles, have been shown to have an adequate margin of strength and fatigue resistance.

The fitting of the motion brackets and spring hangers will complete the engine frame structure.

Wheelsets – After further protracted delays, the pony truck cannonbox is back with Timson Engineering at Kettering for final machining following replacement of some of the manganese steel wear plates. Delivery to Darlington is eagerly anticipated.

Our volunteers are making good progress with polishing the tyre rims.

The speedo drive return crank (which doubles as the crank pin nut on the LH trailing coupled wheel) has been delivered and is presently being fettled and polished by our volunteers.

Boiler – The draft of the updated boiler design has been received and “best and final” updates for quotes for the boiler sought. By the time this article appears in TCC, we expect the decision on supplier will have been made and contract negotiations to be well in hand.

Major boiler fittings – Preparations are being made to carry out the hydraulic test on the superheater header (including finding the 86 rubber dog balls required to block the superheater element connection holes).

Cylinders – Further detailed design work has been done on the cylinder block and valve gear in anticipation of commencement of manufacture. In the meantime Alan Parkin has produced drawings and quotations for valve cover patterns have been sought.

Brake rigging – four fabricated brake cross stays (similar to those made for Tornado) have been delivered by North View Engineering Solutions.

The front and rear short brake links have been completed, the latter being a complicated offset design which have been machined from solid at Darlington Locomotive Works. Brake blocks have been ordered and all the brake pins made. We are expecting delivery of the two brake lever shafts from I D Howitt at Crofton shortly.

Cab – With Daniela having completed the drawings, material has been delivered and cab seats and cab seat cubicles are under construction.

Tender – The order for the tender tank has been placed with North View Engineering Solutions. Delivery of the base plate to Ian Howitt at Crofton is scheduled for pre-fitting to the frames during June, with the completed tank delivered to Darlington Locomotive Works in September, by which time we expect to have the frames on site.

Ian Howitt continues to make good progress with the tender frames with the spring hanger and tank brackets attached to the frame plates. Major components have been made including the drag boxes.

We are still awaiting delivery of the remaining tender axle, with a current promise for mid-June. At that stage the four axles will be dispatched along with the wheels to South Devon Railway Engineering.

Fittings – Our first attempt to appoint a machinist was not successful, so we have re-advertised the job. In mean time urgent fittings and machining work is being subcontracted out.

Efforts are being made to secure the loan of patterns from the 71000 Duke of Gloucester team for the Davies and Metcalfe class K exhaust injector. Manufacturers are also being sought for the grease separator which is located in the exhaust steam pipe to prevent oil and grease from the exhaust steam being injected into the boiler.

Pipework – The critical path on project plan is pipework, so effort has been concentrated on design and installation of the major pipe runs.

The first to have been made is the exhaust steam injector exhaust steam pipe – a 4in bore pipe which carries exhaust steam from the cylinder block all the way back to the exhaust steam injector under the cab; being the largest pipe we have to accommodate it was routed and made first with Ian Matthews fabricating it. It has been trial installed but each of the sections will require hydraulic testing before permanent installation. This pipe also serves as the exhaust pipe for the two air pumps.

The next pipe run will be the 2in vacuum pipe including the DV2 air/vacuum proportional valve.

Design is well in hand for the air brake and air reservoir pipes which also run the full length of the frames.

Electrical – The casing for the new belt driven alternator prototype has been fabricated by North Bay Railway Engineering in Darlington and has been christened “Noo Noo” due to its similarity in appearance to the vacuum cleaner in the Teletubbies!  Meanwhile Alan is seeking quotes for the remaining detail components.

Alan has made very good progress with routing the stainless steel electrical trunking and conduits through the frames. He has also worked up a design for a slightly enlarged battery box which will permit fitting of batteries of greater capacity than those on Tornado to provide greater margins for when the ERTMS cab signaling system eventually has to be fitted to the locomotive. The new battery boxes look very similar to the BR AWS (Automatic Warning System) battery boxes fitted to Tornado which is somewhat anomalous as P2s were never fitted with AWS!. However, we do not have enough space to locate the batteries anywhere else so have adopted the same location as Tornado. The BR design is not very conspicuous and had the P2s survived into original form into the 1950s, they would have been fitted with AWS.

One change we are making from Tornado design is the means of disconnecting cables between the cab and frame so that the cab can be removed from the engine – which is often needed for firebox repairs. On Tornado, the cables from the frames pass through holes in the footplate and the bottom of the brake equipment cubicle in the cab floor and plug directly into the equipment in the under-seat cubicles. The process of disconnecting these requires great care and leaves the cables with their connectors hanging from the trunking above the battery boxes where they are vulnerable. The chosen solution is to set military standard plug sockets in recessed boxes in the underside of the cab base which enable short cables to be plugged in directly. When the cab is removed, the plug sockets have dummy covers fitted and the cables and plugs (which are much shorter) can be coiled up and stowed in the trunking above the battery boxes.

A further electrical design review has been conducted with Rob Morland, Alan Parkin and David Elliott to assess the design work to date and decide if any changes were needed. Fortunately, very little alteration was felt to be required, and Alan is clear to proceed under Rob’s direction to complete the detail design of the trunking installation.

March construction update

GENERAL – Design and manufacturing resources have continued to be diverted from time to time to support Tornado’s return to the main line, however some good progress has been made on Prince of Wales.

FRAMES – Daniela has completed the FEA study of the pony truck crosshead which has emphasised that it is satisfyingly over engineered! She is presently working on the completing the study for the pony truck frame. North View Engineering Solutions in Darlington are asking good progress with the outside motion brackets with delivery expected in March.

WHEELSETS – The saga of the pony truck cannon box continues! Due to a machining error, one of the bearing seats was bored oversize which has necessitated having it welded by a specialist in this field. This inevitably caused some distortion in the castings so they were stress relieved to restore them to the correct shape. Unfortunately, the stress relieving caused some of the manganese steel wear plates which form the liners where the cannon box slides up and down in the pony truck to crack. At the present time, under instruction from Timson Engineering who were contracted to machine all the cannon and axle boxes, North View Engineering Solutions in Darlington are welding on new liner plates. Based on satisfactory experience with Tornado, we have encouraged North View to maintain a welding code and procedure in welding manganese steel liners to steel axleboxes or hornblocks – hence their use for this work.

Otherwise Ian Matthews has got as far as he can with preparing and painting the wheel centres and spokes of the coupled wheelsets – we have had to leave the areas around the built-up balance weights until the lead/antimony alloy is poured into the spaces between the balance weight plates and the spokes to provide the desired level of rotary and reciprocating mass balance. These areas will be painted once the balancing is complete which can be concluded when the motion parts are weighed. Our volunteers have started sanding down the outer tyre faces as similar to the original P2 No. 2001 Cock o’ the North, Prince of Wales will run with polished wheel tyres.

BOILER – We are expecting receipt in the near future of the updated design for the boiler from Meiningen incorporating all the modifications and improvements fitted to Tornado’s boiler over the years. Once this is complete we will be in a position to make a final decision on where the boiler is to be built.

The machining of the superheater header is complete at MultiTech Engineering of Ferrybridge. Two sets of regulator castings have been ordered from H Downs of Huddersfield. This one set to for a regulator for No. 2007, the other as a set of spares for both locomotives.

CYLINDERS – With Daniela having produced detailed models of external steam pipes and elbows for the cylinder block, she has refined the design using Finite Element Analysis and created manufacturing drawings. This has enabled us to seek pattern and casting costs for these items. In the meantime, David Elliott has been developing the Lentz/Franklin valve gear and detailing the cylinder block design.

BRAKE RIGGING – The brake cross stays have been ordered from North View Engineering Solutions.

CAB – The first attempt to fit the cab spectacle windows was not successful due to the sloping front plates of the cab not being sufficiently flat. Ian Matthews has partially dismantled this area and applied much heat and controlled percussion to rectify this problem and both spectacle windows are installed and fit properly. Daniela has modified the window catch design to suit the thicker frames which are required to hold the 21mm thick glazings required to meet current Railway Group Standards.

Daniela is also working up a slightly modified version of the electrical cubicles which form the bases of the cab seats. These are closely based on the design used on Tornado but amended to suit the different cab profile and curved in rear edges of the P2 cab.

TENDER – With a total of four quotes to build the tender tank, we are near to making a decision on which supplier we will select.

Unilathe at Stoke on Trent, which is supplying the tender axles, have delivered the three plain axles, but have had problems with the 4th axle (which has an extra seat on it to carry the tender alternator pulley). Two attempts to manufacture this axle have failed when the finished axles have been rejected during the final Non-Destructive Testing procedures. This has resulted in Unilathe’s axle forging supplier carrying out further tests on their stock blank forgings resulting in a sizeable batch being scrapped. A new forging has been made and we are promised delivery of the finished axle in April. Once it is received, the four axles will be sent with the wheels to South Devon Railway Engineering for assembly (they already have the tyres).

Ian Howitt is making good progress with the tender frames at his Crofton works. Castings are being machined and bolted to the frame plates and several other components have been manufactured.

FITTINGS – Progress on steam and air fittings has been limited by the diversion of time to the Tornado repair and the difficulty in finding machining capacity in our contractors. Fortunately, Alan Parkin, whilst taken on part time for electrical design, has proved to be a good mechanical designer so has been producing 3D models of several fittings to help us catch up which will enable detailed pipe work layouts to be designed.

Following a trawl through the project plan, we have identified three person-years of machining work so have taken the decision to advertise for a machinist and to acquire some better machinery with digital readouts and power feeds on all axes so that we can carry out this machining in-house.

ELECTRICAL – The new trial turbine wheel for the turbo-generators has been completed and at the present time an arbor and attachment cone are being made to enable it to be dynamically balanced. Alan Parkin is continuing to oversee manufacture of the structural components of the new design of belt driven alternator for the locomotives and support coaches.

Rob Morland is continuing to develop the electrical design and specification of equipment. A start-up meeting has been held between Alan Parkin, Rob Morland, Paul Depledge (the electrician who installed most of the electrical system on Tornado) and David Elliott to discuss design and routing of the conduits and trunking for the wiring. Following experience with Tornado it is intended to use stainless steel for this equipment to minimise corrosion.

December construction update

NEW YEAR COMMITMENTS – We have set the following targets for 2019 which will see the project move on significantly.

  • Pony truck complete
  • Boiler ordered
  • Tender tank and frames substantially complete
  • Electrical trunking designed
  • Two air pumps overhauled for fitment
  • Pipework layout designed
  • Heavy motion partially delivered
  • Cylinder block design complete and under construction
  • Valve gear in manufacture

FRAMES – The order is being placed for the outside motion brackets with North View Engineering Solutions in Darlington with delivery expected late February/early March. Daniela Filová has started FEA (Finite Element Analysis) work on the pony truck frames to support a submission to our certification Body Ricardo Rail

WHEELSETS – Ian Matthews has completed the filling of the coupled wheel spokes as far as he can. He has to leave the area round the balance weights until the balancing is complete as the heat from the molten lead alloy which is to be poured into the weight plates between the spokes will burn paint and filler. The rest has been primed in grey followed by a rather fetching shade of blue undercoat to act as a marker layer to help with the final rub down – high spots will revert to the grey primer without breaking through to the filler.

Ian Matthews preparing the wheelsets – David Elliott

AIR PUMPS – An order has been placed on Meiningen for the 2nd Finnish air pump which we acquired last year to be overhauled.

BOILER – David Elliott has completed the revised dome profile 3D model to enable Meiningen to incorporate this is into the updated boiler design as the Tornado dome studs were found to poke through the cladding on the P2! The section on the image below shows the re-profiled dome with the regulator fully open.

Meetings have now been held to discuss the manufacture of the boiler with the companies that have responded to our earlier request for expressions of interest. Once the updated boiler design is available, we expect to be in a position to select a manufacturer and place the order in the first quarter of 2019. The requested delivery date is December 2020.

Re-profiled dome with the regulator fully open – David Elliott/A1SLT

MAJOR BOILER FITTINGS – The machining of the superheater header is under way at Multi-Tech Engineering at Ferrybridge.  Following responses to requests for quotation (RFQ) for the regulator castings we expect to place an order shortly.

CYLINDERS – Daniela Filová has conducted FEA on the castings for the steam passages/valve chambers including incorporating mid-feathers to reduce the maximum stress to an acceptable value. The sectioned casting model shows the mid feather in the steam passage on one of the castings for the inside cylinder. Quotes are being sought to manufacture these items.

Mid feather in the steam passage on one of the castings for the inside cylinder – Daniela Filová/A1SLT

TENDER – I D Howitt Ltd continue to make progress with fabrications and machining castings for the tender frames.  We have received three quotes for constructing the tender tank and are near to a decision on which company to use and expect to place an order in the New Year.

ELECTRICAL – Arrangements are in hand to balance the new turbo-generator turbine wheel, after which it can be tested by replacing a heavily worn turbine wheel on the turbo-generator presently in use Tornado.  Quotes are being sought to manufacture the casing and details for the newly designed axle driven alternator which is required to replace the elderly and scarce Stones Altonum alternators presently used on Tornado and our support coach. These are expensive to maintain and overhaul and use an increasingly unreliable 1960s transistor design of regulator. The new design uses a 180amp truck/bus alternator which is readily available both new and overhauled, is relatively cheap and has the regulator built in.

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT – We are pleased to welcome Richard Pearson who has joined us recently from a similar role at Locomotion at Shildon. As Engineering and Workshop Manager he will oversee day to day activities in Darlington Locomotive Works and to beef up our engineering capacity to maintain Tornado. Richard’s leaving gift from Locomotion was a sponsored component on Prince of Wales of 1” BSW driving bolt and nut, specifically, bolt and nut 7 that holds the intermediate RH hornblock onto the frames – we couldn’t think of a more appropriate leaving gift!

TRACKWORK – As you may have noticed, Prince of Wales is being built facing the opposite way to Tornado. This will assist at the end of the build when we are steam testing as it will be possible to have most of the locomotive in the shed with only the chimney outside. It also provides more exciting photographic opportunities with the front of the engine emerging from the Works. However it does introduce a logistical problem when the tender arrives, in that it will be at the wrong end of the engine! For space and access reasons during the build, the engine needs to be at the street entrance end of the works, as the mess-room and store prevent the use of the fork lift truck on the west side of the building when a vehicle is parked next to them. This is less of problem for the tender where there is little need for a fork lift to fit and remove components.

To remove the requirement for crane or skate shunting, we have made use of the turnout that was built into the trackwork outside the works when Tornado was approaching completion to install a short siding. This will facilitate swapping over the vehicles from time to time.

First P2 cylinder components delivered

We are delighted to announce that the first components for the cylinder block for No. 2007 Prince of Wales have been delivered. The three cylinder cover castings which were made from Spheriodal Graphite Iron were produced by H. Downs & Sons foundry in Huddersfield from a pattern produced by John Hazlehurst of Swineshead near Boston. In the meantime, work continues on the redesign of the original Gresley class P2 No. 2001 Cock o’ the North’s monobloc cylinder casting to a welded fabrication incorporating the improved version of the Lentz rotary cam poppet valve gear developed by the Franklin Company in the USA in the mid-1940s. No. 2007’s cylinder block design will also include improvements along the lines of famous French railway engineer André Chapelon to increase maximum power and improve economy.

The work involved in designing and manufacturing No. 2007’s new cylinder block includes:

  • Converting the original class P2 one-piece casting into a welded fabrication including Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to check for structural integrity
  • Improving the layout of the valves to reduce the clearance volume (which affects cylinder efficiency)
  • Re-routing the steam and exhaust passages to physically separate them to prevent incoming steam from heating the outgoing exhaust
  • Increasing the size and improving internal streamlining of steam passages along Chapelon lines to increase maximum power and improve economy
  • Reducing the overall width of the cylinder block to provide Prince of Wales with the widest possible route availability on the main line.

Manufacture of the new cylinder block includes:

  • Producing the welded fabrication
  • Stress relieving
  • Grit blasting and painting with high temperature paint
  • Machining
  • Fitting cylinder liners and valve seats
  • Manufacturing and fitting cylinder and valve covers
  • Hydraulic testing the assembly.

To date the Trust has completed the conceptual design of the cylinder block and it is expected that an order will be placed for its fabrication in the first quarter of 2019 for delivery before the end of 2019.  The delivery of the three cylinder cover castings coincides with the money spent to-date on the new Gresley class P2 No. 2007Prince of Wales passing the £2.1 million mark – 42% of the estimated £5m total required. In March 2018, the Trust announced that The Cylinder Club, established to pay for the cylinder block, had reached its 100 members target and pledges of £100,000 plus Gift Aid. The funding of the cylinder block will help to ensure that the project remains on schedule for completion in 2021.

The original Gresley design for the cylinder casting

A CAD rendering of the new cylinder block – David Elliott

 Over the next 12 months, the Darlington-based team aims to:

  • Complete the pony truck
  • Select the manufacturer and place the order for the boiler
  • Make substantial progress on the tender tank and frames
  • Finish the detailed design of the electrical system
  • Complete the overhaul of and fit two steam driven air pumps
  • Manufacture and take delivery of most of the coupling and connecting rods
  • Complete the cylinder block design with construction nearing completion
  • Start manufacture of the valve gear.

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director and Trustee, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented, “We are delighted to announce that the first cylinder components for No. 2007 Prince of Wales, in the shape of the three cylinder cover castings, have been delivered to Darlington Locomotive Works having been cast by H. Downs & Sons Ltd of Huddesfield. This follows on from our announcement in March 2018 that The Cylinder Club, founded to pay for the cylinder block, had reached its 100 members target two months early. This meant that this critical part of No. 2007 Prince of Wales is now fully funded through the £100,000 plus Gift Aid donated by our supporters. Our engineering team continues to work on the technical design of the cylinder block with the intention for placing an order for the fabrication in the first quarter of 2019 for delivery towards the end of 2019.

 “Now is the time to get on board this ground-breaking project and help the Trust to raise the £5m needed to ensure its completion in 2021.”

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is holding a series of roadshows about the project to build new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales across the UK in 2018. Each presentation will feature key Trust personnel including Mark Allatt (P2 Project Director) and/or David Elliott (Director of Engineering) and will cover the background to the project, progress to-date, future plans and details of how to get involved. The presentations will start promptly at 11:00hrs and run until 13:00hrs on each of the days listed below and are open to existing supporters and interested members of the public:

  • Saturday 3rd November 2018 – Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester
  • Saturday 8th December 2018 – Hilton Leeds City Hotel, Leeds.

State of the art measurement system for No. 2007

STATE OF THE ART MEASUREMENT SYSTEM USED TO ACCELERATE CONSTRUCTION OF BRITAIN’S MOST POWERFUL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

Project inspires young engineers from UTC South Durham

The project to build new Gresley class P2 steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales is delighted to announce that Shildon-based Bignall Group, in collaboration with Hexagon Metrology Limited of Telford, has sponsored the critical measurement of the locomotive using a state-of-the-art 3D laser tracker system. Young aspiring engineers from UTC South Durham witnessed this equipment being used. These measurements will allow the engineers from The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust working on No. 2007, to precisely align all four wheelsets within the engine’s frames. This sponsorship is a significant contribution to the project not only in its monetary value, but also giving the Trust confidence that the results are precise, meaning considerably less time will be needed than using traditional methods.

Measurements taking place at DLW – Daniela Filová

Further measurements at DLW – Daniela Filová

Bignall Group Ltd recently contacted The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust as John Bignall, owner and Director of Bignall Group Ltd, is very interested in the design and engineering aspects of the project to build No. 2007 Prince of Wales. Upon being shown around the locomotive following an introduction from local Darlington Councillor Chris McEwan, John was keen to help the project and liaised with his various contacts to allow the Trust to use state-of-the-art technology to measure the precise position of the horn block liners relative to one another. On Tuesday 11th September 2018, John Bignall, along with Hexagon Metrology Limited, brought a 3D measuring device to Darlington Locomotive Works. As John is also a co-sponsor of UTC South Durham, and the Trust is an educational charity, it was decided that this would be a great opportunity for young aspiring engineers to see the measurement system in action, as well as to demonstrate the portable measuring arm that the students also use at college.

John Bignall, Director of Bignall Group Ltd, commented:

“As designers and developers of engineered products, we are pleased, to be able to work with The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust on their exciting project to build No. 2007 Prince of Wales. We organised Hexagon Metrology Limited alongside UTC of South Durham to visit the works for what was a very educational hands-on experience of the equipment the students are using in their studies.

“We are delighted to support the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive as they share our engineering values”

David Elliott, Director of Engineering, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, added:

“We are pleased to be working with Bignall Group and Hexagon Metrology Limited using state-of-the-art 3D laser based measuring equipment to survey the frames of our new Gresley class P2, No. 2007 Prince of Wales.

“Their sponsorship will help the Trust maintain the progress necessary to complete the new locomotive in 2021.”

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust concluded:

“We are delighted with the level of support that the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has received since construction started only four years ago. Thanks to our supporters’ continued generosity, over £2m has been spent on construction, over £2.4m donated and over £3.1m pledged.

“We are confident that we will have completed the rolling chassis for No. 2007 Prince of Wales in 2018 and we remain on-track for completion of the new locomotive in 2021. However, to maintain this rate of progress we need to raise more than £700,000 per year, which given the nature of the regular donation scheme becomes more challenging as each year passes. We would encourage all steam enthusiasts who haven’t yet contributed to this exciting project to help us to meet these deadlines by becoming a monthly covenantor or a member of The Boiler Club or The Motion Club. It’s time to get on board! This year will see further major announcements as the construction of new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales continues to gather pace.”

We have a Mikado!

ALL WHEELS FITTED TO BRITAIN’S MOST POWERFUL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE NO. 2007 PRINCE OF WALES

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust today announced that we had fitted the pony truck wheelset to new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales meaning that a main line ‘Mikado’ was in existence in Great Britain for the first time since 1945. The rear Cartazzi wheelset was fitted in early 2018 and the eight 6ft 2in driving wheels in July 2018.

The Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte in the early twentieth century. In the notation a locomotive with one leading axle (two wheels) in front, then four driving axles (eight wheels) and then one trailing axle (two wheels) is classified as 2-8-2 and commonly referred to as a ‘Mikado’. The name ‘Mikado’ originated from a group of Japanese type 9700 2-8-2 locomotives that were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for the 3ft 6in gauge Nippon Railway of Japan in 1897. In the 19th century, the Emperor of Japan was often referred to as “the Mikado” in English and the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Mikado had premiered in 1885 and achieved great popularity in both Britain and the USA. Although the most numerous wheel arrangement globally, only eight standard gauge ‘Mikados’ operated in Great Britain, two Gresley class P1 freight locomotives (introduced in 1925 and both scrapped in 1945) and six Gresley class P2s (introduced in 1934 and all rebuild by 1944).

The work involved wheeling the engine to create the first standard gauge ‘Mikado’ since 1945 include:

Machining axle and cannon box castings, manufacturing roller bearing details

Boring eight coupled wheel bosses to finished size

Assembling bearings and cannon box onto pony truck axle

Assembling bearings, cannon and axle boxes onto plain coupled axles

Trial fitting coupled axles to frame

Pressing Cartazzi wheels onto axle, fitting & machining tyres and fitting bearings & axleboxes

Pressing plain coupled wheels onto axles, fitting and machining tyres

Assembling crank axle, fitting bearings & axleboxes, pressing wheels onto crank axle, fitting and machining tyres

Finish machining crank bosses & boring crank pin holes and machining & fitting all crank pins

Trial fitting wheelsets to frames at DLW.

 

We have a Mikado! – David Elliott

The wheeling of No. 2007 Prince of Wales was funded by 200 members of The Mikado Club of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust who each donated £1,000 plus gift aid towards the project. The total cost of the wheeling, including all components, is estimated at around £400,000. A selection of wheeling-related parts – including a 6ft 2in driving wheel at £12,000 – are still available for sponsorship under the Trust’s Dedicated Donations scheme.

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director and Trustee, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented:

“We are delighted with the level of support that the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has received since its launch. Thanks to our supporters’ continued generosity, over £3m has now been donated or pledged.

“The fitting of all of the wheels to the engine and therefore creating the first standard gauge ‘Mikado’ in Great Britain since 1945 marks a significant milestone in the construction of No. 2007 Prince of Wales. Thanks to the dedication and generosity of our supporters, we remain confident that we are on-track for completion of new Gresley class P2 locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales in 2021.

“I would encourage all steam enthusiasts who haven’t yet contributed to this exciting project to help us to meet these deadlines by becoming a monthly ‘P2 for the price of a pint of beer a week’ Covenantor. It’s time to get on board! This year will see further major announcements as the construction of new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales gathers pace.”

To become a monthly Covenantor, email enquiries@p2steam.com, call 01325 460163 or visit www.p2steam.com for more information.

A birthday party surprise!

Unfortunately Tornado was unable to attend her 10th birthday party in Darlington but it looks like Prince of Wales had a surprise waiting for the guests!  Again, many thanks to all those who signed up to The Mikado Club to get No. 2007 on her wheels.

All photos by Mandy Grant.