Launched in July 2021, ‘The Cylinder Manufacturing Club’ has been now been renamed ‘The Monobloc Club’.
This is a shift in focus to draw attention to unique fabrication and raise the profile of this bold undertaking.
Production of the cylinder block is well underway at Howco in Irvine, Scotland, and delivery is expected later this summer. Members of the P2 team visit regularly to view progress, and our certification advisor was pleased with work to date on his visit earlier this month. See below for images from the team’s latest visit to Howco on 14th April.
Whilst we are pressing forward with the manufacturing of the monobloc, donations are now needed to help fund the work. We do not want to slow the pace of the P2 build, so all contributions towards Prince of Wales are greatly appreciated.
To-date, over £4m has been spent of the estimated £6m required to complete No. 2007 Prince of Wales within the next three years.
In order to keep to this schedule, we must complete the cylinder block by this summer. Please consider joining The Monobloc Club today and help us to complete Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive in record time – we have a way to go to reach our £250,000 target!
To reflect this, and show our thanks, we would like to invite every member of The Monobloc Club to join us at Howco to view progress on the cylinder block fabrication. Club members are invited to visit the factory in Irvine, witness some of the manufacturing in action and speak with their engineers, and ours. The tour is planned for Thursday 26th May, starting at 11:00hrs and lunch is provided, allowing ample time for discussion with other club members, the engineering team and Trustees.
The longer the build takes, the more it will inevitably cost to complete Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive. We rely on donations to continue our progress. With the cylinder block, tender frames and boiler all due for delivery this year, there have never been a better time to get on board with the P2 project. As a club member, monthly donor or one-off contributor, your money helps to ensure the future of main line steam. Find out more about ‘Supporting No. 2007’ at www.p2steam.com
During a recent visit to Howco David Elliott took these photos:
A frontal view of the inside cylinder
The left-hand outside cylinder
A view inside the blastpipe flange
Right-hand outside cylinder from the top face
The “mating face” of the inside cylinder