FUNDRAISING to build part of Britain's most powerful express passenger steam locomotive in Darlington has reached 75 per cent of its final target.

The Motion Club, which was established to fund the manufacture of the motion rods of new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales, has reached 135 members of its 175-members target, raising £170,000 of its required £210,000.

The Club was launched in April 2018 and aims to raise the £210,000 through 175 supporters each donating £1,000 (plus Gift Aid) in up to eight payments of £125, to manufacture the motion parts for the giant new locomotive.

The initial target of reaching 135 members co-incides with the start of forging the motion rods.

The Gresley class P2 2-8-2 ‘Mikados’ were the most powerful express passenger locomotives to operate in the UK.

They were designed by Sir Nigel Gresley in the 1930s to haul 600-ton trains on the arduous Edinburgh to Aberdeen route.

But the design was never fully developed and they were rebuilt by his successor Edward Thompson into ungainly class A2/2 4-6-2 'Pacifics' in 1943/4, and scrapped by 1961.

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the builders of the well-known new 100mph steam locomotive No. 60163 Tornado, is building the seventh member of this class at its Darlington Locomotive Works (DLW).

The cost will reach about £5m over seven years through the Trust's P2 Steam Locomotive Company subsidiary. The project is demonstrating how the design can be fully realised through is using modern computer design techniques to build parts.

Members of the Motion Club receive benefits including a chance to buy a ticket on one of the first trains hauled by the Prince of Wales and access to the engine any time.