The project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has appointed Daniela Filová as its Assistant Mechanical Engineer. This coincides with the money spent to-date on the new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales passing the £1.5m mark – 30% of the estimated £5m total. Daniela’s appointment will help to ensure that the project remains on schedule for completion in 2021 and enable the Darlington-based team tocomplete the wheelsets, continue the boiler procurement, order the cylinder block, design & order the first motion parts, continue to progress work on the tender and commence the electrical design during 2018. Daniela joins the young female team working for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust with Gemma Braithwaite as Office Manager and Sophie Bunker-James as Railtours Marketing Manager, proof that building and operating new steam locomotives is no longer just jobs for the boys!

Daniela, who is from the Czech Republic, has relocated to Darlington to be part of the team building Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive. She has a background in intellectual property and has also run her own live steam model engineering and manufacturing business, Daniela also has considerable experience in the use of the Solid Works 3D Computer Aided Design software used by on the project and has already put this to good use, producing the manufacturing drawing for the cylinder covers.  It was anticipated at the outset of the project that extra resources would be required as the build developed and the decision was taken by the Trust in September 2017 to recruit an Assistant Mechanical Engineer to expedite production of manufacturing drawings. Daniela Filová was appointed following a recruitment process carried out in collaboration with Teesside University.

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director and Trustee, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Daniela Filová to the team building new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales at Darlington Locomotive Works. Daniela joins the young female team working for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, proof that building and operating new steam locomotives is no longer just jobs for the boys or even old men! Now is the time to get on board this ground-breaking project and help the Trust to raise the £5m needed to ensure its completion in 2021.”