Motion bracket design complete and awaiting fabrication

The Motion Club, which was launched in April 2018, has reached over half of its 175-member target, with 100 people already signed up. The Motion Club aims to raise £210,000, through 175 supporters each donating £1,000 (plus Gift Aid) in up to eight payments of £125, to manufacture the motion for new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. Reaching over 100 members of The Motion Club coincides with the motion bracket design being finalised.

Following the success of The Founders Club (to get the project to the point of cutting the frames), The Boiler Club (to fund the construction of the boiler), The Mikado Club (to wheel the locomotive) and The Cylinder Club (to make the cylinder block), the Trust decided to establish The Motion Club to raise an estimated £210,000 required to manufacture No. 2007’s motion.

In return for supporting this appeal, special benefits for members of The Motion Club include:

• Opportunity to buy ticket (seat already reserved) on one of the first trains hauled by No. 2007 Prince of Wales
• Reasonable access to No. 2007 at all times
• Opportunity to buy exclusive Motion Club badge
• Opportunity to join one of the teams building No. 2007
• First choice of other components to sponsor
• Special Motion Club day with Tornado
• Special limited-edition version (signed/numbered) of Stuart Black’s drawing of No. 2007 Prince of Wales

The work involved in designing and manufacturing the motion includes:

• Redesign of coupling and connecting rods to use modern material (pre-war nickel chrome steel alloy proved prone to fracture)
• Incorporation of late-pattern BR-type continuous white metal lined crank pin bearing bushes
• Use of the late-A1 design of inside connecting rod which overcame the tendency for the original design of inside connecting rods on LNER ‘Pacifics’ to big-end failure
• Open die forging of six coupling rods, two outside connecting rods and the inside connecting rod and strap
• CNC machining of all rods
• Manufacture of oil box lids, coupling rod knuckle pins, nuts and washers and bearing bush keys
• Casting of leaded gunmetal and phosphor bronze castings of crank pin bearing bushes
• Machining and white metalling of bearing bushes
• Fitting oil box tops
• Assembly of bearing bushes to rods
• Polishing rods.

To complete No. 2007 Prince of Wales by the end of 2021, the project needed to order the heavy motion in 2018. Thanks to the generosity of the project’s supporters and the quick uptake of The Motion Club, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust was confident enough to place the £181,000 order with Stephenson Engineering Ltd of Atherton, Manchester for the heavy motion in May 2018. The order included the forging, machining and heat treatment of the nine heavy motion rods - intermediate coupling rod LH/RH, trailing coupling rod LH/RH, leading coupling rod LH/RH, outside connecting rod LH/RH and the inside connecting rod assembly (including strap, gluts and strap nuts and washers) – and the combined piston and rod. The motion is expected to be delivered in batches throughout 2019, with the first items, the intermediate coupling rods, expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2019. Orders to follow for the motion include rod bushes, oil box covers and other miscellaneous components.

The original P2 cast steel motion bracket design has been converted to a welded fabrication to suit modern manufacturing methods. The motion bracket’s primary role is supporting the slide bars. In addition, it also carries gearboxes and components associated with the valve gear and reversing mechanism. The design conversion involved the detailing of full penetration welds and creating the manufacturing and plate profiling drawings. Some components require machining before the assembly is welded together. Once the assemblies are fully welded and subjected to non-destructive testing (NDT) they will be stress relieved, grit blasted and primed prior to machining. Quotations are being sought for these components.

Mark Allatt, P2 Project Director and Trustee, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented, “We are delighted with the level of support that the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has received since its launch. Thanks to our supporters’ continued generosity, well over £3m has now been donated or pledged with half of the required £5m already received.

“We now want to turn our attention to the motion which is our next major manufacturing challenge. Given the level of support The Motion Club has received, we are confident we can raise the additional £85,000 needed to pay for the heavy motion and remain on-track for completion of new Gresley class P2 locomotive - No. 2007 Prince of Wales - in 2021.

“I would encourage all steam enthusiasts who haven’t yet contributed to this exciting project to help us to meet these deadlines by becoming a member of The Motion Club or a monthly ‘P2 for the price of a pint of beer a week’ Covenantor. It’s time to get on board! Next year will see further major announcements as the construction of new Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales gathers pace.”