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