THE engineering expertise that shaped the history of one North-East town is being celebrated with a collaboration to build its world-famous export.

Two Darlington-based constructors are working together to complete the £5m No 2007 Prince of Wales steam locomotive that is being built from scratch in the town’s locomotive works.

A1 Steam Locomotive Trust engineers working to complete the seventh member of its Gresley P2 class will now be joined by young apprentices from Cleveland Bridge who will offer a helping hand in the work sheds.

The partnership will see Cleveland Bridge manufacture the new loco’s tender – a coal car carrying water and fuel for the engine.

Sponsorship from the technology-based engineering firm will bring forward the completion of the tender tank by at least one year.

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust P2 project director, Mark Allat, said: “We are pleased to welcome Darlington-based and world-leading Cleveland Bridge as a sponsor of No 2007 Prince of Wales.

“Its sponsorship of the construction of No 2007’s tender and secondment of apprentices to Darlington Locomotive Works to work on the engine will help the Trust to maintain the progress necessary to complete the new locomotive by 2021.

“The project will demonstrate how the design can be fully realised through use of modern computer design techniques, enabling the new locomotive to deliver its full potential hauling passenger trains at high speed across today’s national network.”

The tender is crucial to keeping the Prince of Wales on track following the removal of steam infrastructure along the railway network and its construction will take around two years to complete.

Chris Droogan, managing director of Cleveland Bridge UK – based off Yarm Road, Darlington, said: “We are very proud to support The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in its project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive.

“At Cleveland Bridge we are very conscious of our 140 years of engineering heritage, building many of the most iconic structures in the world and we are delighted to be part of another Iconic project to come out of Darlington.

“We are more used to building the bridge structures that cross railway lines than producing the engines themselves so it’s going to be quite an exciting project for our team.

“Our apprentices, in particular, we gain some wonderful experience on this project and demonstrate the variety of work a career at Cleveland Bridge offers.”

The seven-year Prince of Wales project is well under way with more than 830 generous rail enthusiasts signing up to donate £10 per month or more in the the P2 for the price of a pint of beer per week campaign.

Thousands of pounds have also been raised through The Founders Club, The Boiler Club, The Mikado Club and donation group towards the cost of construction.