The Main Line Steam Builders Group (MLSB) recently held their fifth meeting to discuss progress on each of the group’s projects.

The meeting was held at the A1 Trust’s Locomotive Works at Darlington, with representatives in attendance from:

• The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust
• Class G5 Locomotive Company
• General Steam Navigation Locomotives Restoration Society
• The LMS-Patriot Project
• The LNWR King George The Fifth Steam Locomotive Trust
• P2 Steam Locomotive Company (A1 Steam Locomotive Trust)
• Standard Steam Locomotive Company (72010 Hengist)

Graham Nicholas provided an update on the process to identify the Technical Risks associated with running newly built steam locomotives on the main line from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

The relevant risks are being developed with the group’s Assessment Body, Ricardo Rail.

In the future, the Main Line Steam Builders Group aims to share information about the current capabilities of the group’s suppliers.

To achieve that aim, the Main Line Steam Builders Group established procedures to share that information and assess suppliers using a red, amber, green rating system.

The group also discussed what methods could be used to reverse-engineer parts when the original drawings are not available; the permissible tolerances for steam locomotives; and the grades of modern materials that have been as substitutes when materials referenced on older drawings are no longer available.

During their visit, the group viewed progress being made on new build P2 Class 2-8-2 No 2007 Prince of Wales but before doing so, the group held a one-minute silence in front of Prince of Wales smokebox in memory of David Elliott.

A representative of the General Steam Navigation Locomotives Restoration Society gave an update on the work needed to construct frames suitable for an original Merchant Navy Class Pacific steam locomotive.

The date of the next meeting of the Main Line Steam Builders Group was set for September 2024.

I find the MLSB group meetings are an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and experience with like-minded and equally skilled engineers and groups.

Whilst we are all working on our own unique locomotive designs with their own unique challenges, collectively we face the same hurdles with our projects, and I often find the collective wisdom of the group useful in solving problems, we would struggle to solve individually.

Dr Steve Rapley, CME for General Steam Navigation