P2 Progress

This page is a digest of progress to date building the new Gresley Class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales.

Headline news: Final coupling rods delivered to DLW – A1SLT

Progress building Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive continues at Darlington Locomotive Works and includes:

  • Frame: engine’s frame & cab substantially complete; cab side & spectacle window frames fitted; side wind screen castings being machined; manufacture of pony truck frame complete, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) study being completed in collaboration with Ricardo Rail
  • Cylinders: 3D CAD design of the cylinder block complete; Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study of steam flow through cylinder block undertaken to optimise steam flow through the cylinder block; Howco Group Plc commissioned to fabricate the new cylinder block using steel castings supplied by William Cook Cast Products Ltd
  • Valve gear & Camboxes: updated poppet valve gear design almost complete – approximately 40 manufacturing drawings produced; some components in manufacture
  • Smokebox & fittings: smokebox assembled and chimney fitted; CFD study underway to check smoke lifting performance of front end and to recommend modifications if necessary
  • Boiler: boiler design study completed & approved by TüV Sud notified body; forged foundation ring corners manufactured; superheater header cast & machined; boiler cladding manufactured; boiler order placed with DB Meiningen (DBM) for delivery in 2021; foundation ring forgings & regulator castings despatched to DBM; minor re-design of the banjo dome to suit P2 cladding completed by DBM; most components made & assembly of boilers underway
  • Fittings: many non-ferrous fittings being cast & machined
  • Brakes: manufacture of brake rigging well advanced and spring gear underway
  • Wheelsets: crank axle re-designed to comply with modern standards & manufactured; all engine wheelsets complete & fitted to engine
  • Motion: heavy motion ordered from Stephenson (Engineering) Ltd; six coupling rods, inside connecting rod and strap and outside connecting rods forged; six machined coupling rods and two outside connecting rods at DLW & machining of other motion underway
  • Pipework: design well advanced, pipe and fittings procured & installation underway
  • Electricals: significant progress on electrical system with design scrutiny under way; battery boxes built & fitted to frames; stainless steel conduit sections cut & bent as required; prototype of new axle driven alternator under test
  • Tender: frame being assembled by ID Howitt; tank constructed at NVES & painted to undercoat at DLW; wheelsets complete apart form balancing
  • Finishing: nameplates and chime whistle delivered.

Fundraising to date:

  • Our ‘P2 for the price of a pint of beer a week’ Covenant scheme has attracted over 990 Covenantors to-date; we still hope to reach 1,000 regular supporters by the end of July 2021 as this is the 60th anniversary of the scrapping of the last of the former P2s – now is the time to come on-board or recruit a friend!
  • The Boiler Club now has 229 of its 300 supporters initial target (each donating £2,000) and is building up a head of steam – we must reach our 300 members target by the end of 2021 at the latest
  • The Tender Club now has 106 of its 250 supporters initial target (each donating £1,500) and is starting to gain traction – why not show a little Tender-ness and help us to reach 125 members by the end of August
  • The P2 Support Coach Appeal now has 54 of its 100 supporters initial target (each donating £1,000) to fund the acquisition and overhaul of a support coach for No. 2007 Prince of Wales – we have passed the half-way mark!
  • Having commissioned Howco Group Plc to fabricate the new cylinder block using steel castings supplied by William Cook Cast Products Ltd, we have launched The Cylinder Manufacturing Club to raise the required £250,000. The aim is to raise an initial target of £250,000 from 250 supporters each donating £1,000 plus Gift Aid (in up to eight payments of £125) – the first 19 members have already joined.
  • Our newly launched mini-club, The Injectors Club has an initial target of 50 supporters (each donating £1,000) to fund the acquisition and manufacture of the live and exhaust steam injectors – the first 14 members have already joined
  • The Motion Club has passed its initial target of 175 with 178 supporters (each donating £1,000) – it will remain open until all the heavy motion is delivered
  • The Pony (Truck) Club has passed its initial target of 20 with 32 supporters (each donating £1,000) – it will remain open until the pony truck is fitted to the engine
  • Our Dedicated Donation scheme has already raised over £400,000
  • The Turbogen Club has reached its initial target of 40 supporters each donating £1,000 and is now closed
  • The Founders Club (to get the project to the point of assembling the frames raised £450,000 from 350 supporters), The Mikado Club (to wheel the locomotive raised £250,000 from 200 supporters, The Cylinder Club (to fund the design & manufacture the cylinder block raised £120,000 from 100 supporters) have all now reached or exceeded their initial targets
  • Altogether this means that we have raised over £4m of the estimated more than £5m required to complete No. 2007 Prince of Wales within the next two years (if Gift Aid is included).

Updated 24th July 2021