A MULTI-million pound project to build Britain’s most powerful passenger steam locomotive in the birthplace of the railways has confirmed a crucial order for state-of-the-art electronics.

The new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales is being constructed in the Darlington Locomotive Works, in the Hopetown area of Darlington, where the 1853-built former Stockton and Darlington Railway Carriage Works stands.

The sheds produced the now world-famous Tornado ten years ago, and the Prince of Wales is on her way to making her first moves on-track in 2021.

The £350,000 electrical systems, based on those fitted to No. 60163 Tornado, includes systems that generate and store electricity, together with lighting and instrumentation systems.

Also included in the order are all current railway safety and communication systems, plus new devices that will soon be needed on the Network Rail main lines.

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is building the seventh member of the Gresley class over seven years, at an estimated cost of £5m.

Rob Morland, electricals director and trustee with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, said: “The electrical system for No. 2007 Prince of Wales build upon that which has successfully operated on No. 60163 Tornado for the past 10 years.

“In that time there have only been a few minor component failures, and some water ingress issues, in a system which has over three miles of cable, 60 connectors and 250 separate wire runs.

“The new system will benefit from the experience of operating Tornado on the main line and heritage railways, particularly with regards to access and maintenance.

“It is also, as much as possible, future-proofed to enable Prince of Wales to operate seamlessly on the modern and future digital railway.”

More than £3m has so far been donated or pledged to the Trust to help build the locomotive.

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director and Trustee, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, said: “Our £350,000 investment in Prince of Wales’s electrical system is part of the Trust’s policy of enabling our new steam locomotives to work on the modern railway side-by-side with the latest diesel and electric traction.

“Although the initial investment will come from our general construction funds, we will be launching a dedicated funding campaign in due course.”

  • For more information on the A1 Trust, visit p2steam.com or call 01325-460163