These photos and the video show progress on the milling and drilling of the main frame plates at Boro’ Foundry at Stourbridge. The main frames are set up on the large Elga Mill and the top surfaces are being machined first. The table is big enough to accommodate the 11.2m length of the main frames, however the cutting head can only move 8m. Hence the frames will be reset 3 times, once to complete the machining of the top edges, then twice more to machine the bottom edges and the horn slots. Fortunately 8m is long enough to machine all the horn slots in one setting which will ensure that their positions relative to one another are accurate which will make eventual setting of axle centres easier than with Tornado.

The leading frame extensions are simultaneously being machined on a gantry mill. The left and right hand plates are tack welded and clamped together on the machine table so that they can be machined and drilled together. The video shows the cutter returning to the start of a cut at the rear end of the upper edge of the frames and proceeding via a large cut out where the one piece cylinder block will sit. All edges of the profiled frames are being machined to remove the metal that is heat affected by the flame cutting process. Typically 0.25″ is being removed around the edges in 2.5mm deep cuts. (Apologies for mixture of imperial and metric units – the drawings are imperial, the machine metric!). After the plates are accurately set up both machines, cutting is Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) from a .dxf drawing which in turn is derived from the Solidworks 3D model of the locomotive.

The buffer beam and small components – David Elliott

The leading frame plate extensions are milled – David Elliott

A different view of the milling in progress – David Elliott

Machining the cut-outs for the cylinder block – David Elliott

Viewed from the rear, the sheer size of the frames is apparent – David Elliott

Milling the main frames – note the tack welds holding the two together – David Elliott

The tender frames were machined at the same time as the main frames – David Elliott

Giving a clear indication of how fast this project is moving ahead, Bakers Patterns of Telford have produced sixteen polystyrene patterns for assorted frame stays, horn guides and brackets for No. 2007. These have been produced by CNC machining solid blocks of the material directly from the 3D CAD drawings, thus saving a huge amount of time and money. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust was a pioneer in using these polystyrene patterns in the construction of Tornado. The components will shortly be cast by William Cook Cast Products.

On Wednesday, 21st May, the frames of P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales were cut at Tata Steel Scunthorpe.  Ben and Tim Godfrey, grandsons of Sir Nigel Gresley, started the machine that began to steadily profile the 21 tons of 30mm steel sheet into the shape required for main frames, tender frames, Cartazzi frames and numerous other parts required.  The profiled frames will erected at Darlington Locomotive Works and will be on show to Founders, Covenantors and members of the public from 18th – 20th July.

Ben and Tim Godfrey start the cutting process – Andy Hardy

The frames for new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales were profiled at  Tata Steel in Scunthorpe on Wednesday 21st May 2014. The process was started by Ben and Tim Godfrey, the grandsons of Sir Nigel Gresley, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London & North Eastern Railway who also designed the world famous Flying Scotsman and world speed record holder Mallard.  The profiling was done at Tata Steel’s 3-Bay facility using a purpose-built Messer Omnimat profiling machine, which use gas burners to cut the steel into the desired shape and is capable of processing  up to 40,000 tonnes a year of profiled plate for delivery to customers around the world.

Tom Ingall (BBC Look North) talks about the frame profiling

21 tons of steel will be reduced to roughly 14 tons when the process is complete – Andy Hardy

Tata’s scheme of work for profiling the P2 frames – Andy Hardy

The Godfreys and the P2SLC team outside Tata Steel, Scunthorpe – Andy Hardy

At lunch the team enjoyed the air ‘Cock o’ the North’ on the bagpipes! – Andy Hardy

Frame cutting starts on the huge pieces of 30mm steel sheet – Andy Hardy

 Ben and Tim Godrey start the plasma cutter working on the steel sheets – Andy Hardy

Coinciding with St George’s Day, the rolling of the 21 ton steel frames for a new steam locomotive which will eventually weigh around 170 tons is a significant step in the construction of Prince of Wales. The rolling of the frames, traditionally the point at which the locomotive is deemed to exist, comes hot on the heels of TV presenter James May making the first component – the smokebox dart – in Darlington Locomotive Works on Thursday 20th February 2014. 

The plate going through the second stage rollers at Scunthorpe – Tim Beere

James May, TV presenter, media celebrity and self confessed steam enthusiast has agreed to make the first part of what will be the most powerful steam locomotive to operate in Great Britain; new build steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales.  James applied his engineering prowess in crafting Prince of Wales’s smoke box door dart, the component at the front of the locomotive that secures the smoke box door shut (resembling the hands on a clock). Using materials and tools at Darlington Locomotive Works, already famous as the location where new steam locomotive Peppercorn A1 No. 60163 Tornado was built and completed in 2008, James created the first piece of this iconic locomotive.

James May commented, “Not many man made machines stir the soul, but a full blown steam locomotive is right up there, and we invented it. However, over the decades we’ve lost so much of the talent, skill and knowledge needed to build them. That’s why its such a thrill to work alongside the team building No. 2007 Prince of Wales, determined to not only resurrect this monster from the past, but to improve it using modern wizardry to do so. It’s a real privilege to know that when Prince of Wales eventually roars past me at a station, I can proudly say along with many others that I helped build that….. and it works!”

James May concentrating on the lathe – Tim Beere