TWO engineering giants have announced a “Bond of Friendship” to honour their intrinsic links of producing powerful machinery.

Representatives from the Royal Navy and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust exchanged gifts to cement their relationship in a bid to ensure their craft continues to flourish.

The A1 Trust, based off Hopetown Lane, are part-way through the build of their next steam loco, the No. 2007 Prince of Wales, while the Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier is also under construction.

During the Trust’s 25th annual convention held this month, Lieutenant Commander David Wright was presented with a painting by railway artist, Chris Ludlow, depicting the No. 2007 Prince of Wales with No. 60163 Tornado.

A1 Trust president, David Champion, said: “The Bond of Friendship with HMS Prince of Wales, the largest and most powerful ship ever built for the Royal Navy, is a momentous occasion and as we shadow each other’s build over the next few years, there are a number of parallels between the Royal Navy and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.”