Building the Most Powerful Steam Engine in the UK - The P2! 

Interesting fact: when tornado entered mainline service it was the newest locomotive on the network for 3 years.

I honestly didn't know people were making steam trains again, I love this.

I’ve been a P2 Covenantor for years and I’m so excited to see this behemoth making a mockery of the U.K.’s inclines in a couple of years 😂 Planning on taking a trip up once the trust has moved and settled into their new HQ across the field. 🙂 And then once she is up and running my £££ will be going right to the V4, and then the V3!

Showing a narrow gauge engine followed by a mainline standard gauge engine really displays the harrowing difference in scope for such a project. One is like that fun tinkering project in the shed you keep messing with, the other has you essentially set up an entire engineering and assembly workshop along with QA department and definitely an accounting department in there somewhere as well. I wish these mad lads all the best, and I can't wait to see the P2 make its debut on the mainline :)

You’ll definitely have to come back to Darlo in 2025 for the Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentennial celebrations! The museum is having a huge number of updates, including a whole new building for these guys and their future locos!

The P2s semi-streamlined form helped influence the iconically peerless A4, so it it's good it is being recreated for the 21at century. Was crushed the unavoidable delays to Tornado's delay in overhaul meant it was not available for mainline tours last year. The A1 looks so cool.

8:53 There footage of the Class A4s when they were briefly allowed to run at 90mph, and it is absolutely amazing. Still shy of the 100+ they were designed to run at, but still brilliant. Hopefully Prince of Wales will be allowed to do the same, because that would be a sight to behold 🤞

Isn't Tornado out for a new boiler,cant wait to see both locos one day together

I've been keeping up with this project for a couple of years, and I'm in love. I've loved the P2 for years, and I love this project. it's just phenomenal

Astonishing achievement, simply astonishing. I'm a little confused on the choice of name they have chosen for this locomotive ... "Prince of Wales"....especially as Gresley designed the P2 locomotives to run in Scotland. I would have thought a traditional Scottish name would have been more appropriate, as with the others in this and similar classes ...A2/1, A2/2 and A2/3' s. Sadly " Duke of Rothesay "...as The Prince of Wales is known in Scotland..had already been used on an A2/1 -- LNER no. 508 ..latterly by BR as 60508.

I once heard a quote for people who are into live steam as a hobby "You don't have to be be crazy, but it helps!"

Lawrie you are one very lucky guy, I sincerely hope you get invited back during the build so you can give us update videos. Sorry but I have to use that word that you said you were using too much, the video and the project are truly "Amazing" 👌👍.

That is some serious engineering work done there that’s going to be a monster of a train well done boys well impressed

Thanks to modern computer CNC and CAD tooling available today, this steam locomotive will probably be built to the tightest manufacturing tolerances of any steam locomotive ever built. This thing will purrr on the rails (I mean chuff).

This is the reason why I love the UK.. y’all have the ability and support to actually build a NEW locomotive… there is so much issue with American rail network and government, it’s almost impossible restore and operate one let alone build one from scratch. I know there is a group trying to build a new Pennsylvania T1 class, but that has been going on for ages with little progress. Which you all the best of luck with these builds and restrictions!

Love it one thing I never thought they would do is build steam engines in this day and age its fantastic seeing it come together it gives you a true sense of the quality and craftsmanship that goes into building one

Its a lovely place, i went to see it about 4 years ago and i found them really welcoming and a really interesting place

This is amazing!! And the fact it's going to run on the BR Mainline is awesome. I can't wait to see the P2 in all it's finished glory. Wishing these amazing people loads of luck from the USA to the UK :D

Thank you for making such an interesting and informative video from, basically, a pile of parts in a workshop. No mean achievement, well done!!

I'm making one of these in 5 inch guage. Thank you so much for this video!

Staggered by the ambition. Always loved the look of the P2 (Greasley fan boy here). This is a case of not doing something because it’s easy but because it’s hard, to me the Saturn 5 of British steam.

Fun! I would definitely like to see the "more technical details" video; that sounds amazing. 😉

Finally, an express engine that will permanently be in LNER apple green livery. No BR liveries can ever be used on it because it’s out of era. Although it might initially be turned out in photographic grey, or wartime black (for running in and testing).

You're right it is very special and this is the sort of Engineering that Britain at time excelled at doing, made or built in Britain was something to be proud of

I have a slight feeling that the T1 trust over here in the US is going to become the American equivalent of the A1 trust. (What do you think they would build next?)

It's really a special thing, this. A big, fast, 'modern,' 8-coupled steam locomotive flying along UK mainlines, a classy-semi streamlined look, and, of course, The Next Number on the side of the cab. and just seeing everything...literally brand-new on it. no rust pitting, no nothing, almost...better than you could see one in the works of the LNER. Like it's a bespoke, handbuilt superloco. So cool. ...Now if we can only convince them to use Dave Mcloud's "Mikado" in the presentation video when it's done...

As I’ve said before it’s nice to have people around that can still be able to build equipment such as this especially if’s there’s a national emergency and the normal equipment is disable

Fantastic! I live in Darlington and I did a video about this with the wheels turning! Great video Lawrie

not only is the amount of work involved in a new engine staggering , it is especially so these days,when I lived in Rochdale in the late 1980 early 90s , it was still very much a textile engineering town , and as we were into vintage fairground equipment we looked at the possibility of building a full size showmans traction engine, at the time we could of had eveything , and I really do mean everything manufactured in town , even down to the paint company that produced the original Burrell deep lake marroon paint. these days most of the skills to do this no longer exist and a lot of the facilities to make these components doesnt exist , so the trust getting these engines made in this country in itself is a massive achievement well done guys.

Hello from Detroit Michigan brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise and for taking us on your adventure on the rails and through time

Awesome, I cant wait to see it!

Great video, learned so much, thank you!

Great to see you in my neck of the woods Lawrie. I'm a covenantor and look forward to the annual conference every year which this year will be in the new mainline connected shed. You should definitely come back up when she's finished and for the bicentenary of the S&DR in September 2025, that's going to be one heck of a weekend! I'll probably see you at a heritage railway somewhere, till then keep up the good work.

Gracias por compartir este video. Interesante construcción de esta locomotora. Siempre me sentí atraído por los trenes ingleses. Muy muy bueno este video.

Thank You, just amazing!!😊

TY Lawrie! 🙏🙏

Congratulations Lawrie on getting the first footplate ride on the P2 😂❤

And here I thought the strongest was the 9F. I can't wait to see that locomotive blasting down the line. Speaking of newly built express locomotives, are you going to see the T1 in 2030?

You British are truly one of a kind - I salute you! This would never happen in Germany.

Lawrie you're right, mainline steam needs a loco able to pull heavier, more profitable trains. We can't go on working vintage machinery harder and harder just to break even.. Total respect to the P2 and A1 loco Trusts for achieving the impossible!

Can’t bloody wait to see this monster running

Oh my those are some beautiful welds 18:19

Hi Laurie. Our Model Railway Group in Swansea just got back from the Cotswold Steam Festival. I rode a train Behind Pendennis Castle today, Plus one behind Dinmore Manor and another behind a Merchant Navy Class. Fantastic Day!

I cannot believe that I was talking to workmates today about my train spotting hobby and I said my all time favorite locomotive is or was cock of the north and then I came across this video absolutely delighted to see this happening the engineering is outstanding and a huge credit to all involved and am I right in thinking that building is where the first steam locomotive was made well done everyone keep them locomotives coming

Great video,hope you keep upto date with progress and do another video,thankyou so much.

Wow! Thats cool to see! You should see the the T1 trust, that will be cool to see

Very interesting Lawrie, well done ☺☺👍👍

Nice Video that is amazing project !

Building new is so hard because building the physical loco is not even a fifth of the challenge. If you start from scratch, you're not building one loco, you're buidling a series. The first on the back of a napkin, the next in CAD and on paper, another in Excel and MS Project, and then the real one. And, most importantly, while you're building all of those, and the team and workshop to do it with, you have to build it in the minds and hearts of the people involved, and the public at large. That's the challenge.

My favorite American 🇺🇸 steam loco to build a new version is Milwaukee Rd HIAWATHA 4-4-2, I designed a 1/8 live steamer for scale trak at 7&1/16"g. CLASS A 1935 ALCO with Art Deco Streamlining by Otto Kuhler, designed for 100 M.P.H., racing from Milwaukee South to Chicago, in only 85 minutes!!!!! From 1935, but only until 1954 when diesels like the EMD. F7A, or Larger E8A arrived. And the FAIRBANKS-MORSE C-Liners. And ALCO DL109 called "Needle-nose". But I grew up North in Green Bay, with the Packers of the N.F.L. Sadly born way too late to see steam. But also sadly the passenger trains were dying really fast. Due to the U.S. GOV. Support of JET planes with the F.A.A., and highways called the Inter-State. The Rails also LOST the U.S. MAIL contract to the JET planes which were New and Modern and FAST!!!!! But trains were slow and old. But the U.S. GOV. Decided to cut down train speeds from previously 120 M.P.H., to only 79 mph. Thus the steamers with high speeds were quickly SCRAPPED AND DESTROYED.. BUT THEN,, many rail Museums,, or Excursions,, were started to preserve the Romantic Ideal of the American trains that settled the WILD WEST. BUT....MOST steamers used for excursions were smaller freight engines like the 2-8-0 Consolidation which were designed for Freight.. YET only a couple had the 4-6-0 ten-Wheeler with 63" Drivers for faster speeds for passengers. But most excursions were set up on very old tracks, with lighter rails, and lack of maintenance that only let them go at 10 mph. When the RR Managers changed from steam to diesel in the 1950s, little did they realize, that in barely 24 years. The U.S. would SUDDENLY PLUNGE over the abyss of the Energy Crisis of 1972, and this disaster is Still With Us even now, 50 years later in 2023. But with high prices. And short supplies. And THOUSANDS OF MILES OF TRACKS ripped off for nature trails for joggers and bicycles 🚲. This also cut off the many manufacturers from the rail option that was energy efficient. But using only semi trucks 🚚, because each truck needs a driver. Yet trains can couple all those cars together and use only 2 crewmen of the engineer, and Conductor or Brakeman. Thus, given all this, and even more, when we rebuild the Hiawatha 4-4-2 Class A, we can also rebuild the mainline with new heavy rails that can now support both the weight of the new steamer, and the High Speeds, because of the New welded rails !! YET...There is still a chance that the passenger trains of America 🇺🇸, can have a successful comeback. And save us from their old foolish ideas. Hi in May 2023A.D and 88th Anniversary of Original 1935 HIAWATHA 4-4-2 STREAMLINER!!!!! ON WISCONSIN!!!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA 🇺🇸 🙏 ❤!!!!!, GLORY ALLELUIA 🙏. AMEN ✝️ 🙏 ✝️ 🙏 ✝️ 🙏!!!!!

Simply fantastic.Nowhere else in the world.

I'm coming down to Darlington to see it steam for the first time next year.

Wonderful to see a modernized steam locomotive.

This makes me so exited

Absolutely incredible realising that every part had been hand cast, cut, machined from plain metal. Thank you, I was 'rivetted' 🙂

Amazing!

I hope to see that beast running when I visit England at some point. Got to get up and close to the Union Pacific Big Boy and that steam train even made the diesel helper shutter when it went forward with its power. Also saw the special on Tornado on youtube when I was looking around and it is amazing to see how it was done. Another thing is that I wonder why James May has not seen this yet? He would love it.

As a gresley fan and just been old to remember steam coming from Bedford my dad would take all over the place just to see Steam engines

The last time Isaw that loco, was through the shed's dirty little windows, which have probably been cleeaned since then. It was a while back, with far less parts visible but wth. Great vid., thanks Lawrie.

LAWRIE & THE NEED FOR A P2 TYPE !! "Double heading" meaning 2 locos at the front of the train, was the NORM on the Edinburgh - Aberdeen route on the HEAVIEST expresses. But "Axle weight limitations" prevented the use of TWO of Gresley's 4-6-2 Pacific types to be used. The only solution therefore was to build a larger locomotive design, with greater power & tractive effort, to obviate "double heading". Hence the arrival of the ONLY British 2-8-2 EXPRESS passenger engine design (the six locos in this class being classified P2 by the London & North Eastern Railway). So the "recreation" currently under construction is numbered 2007. Many aspects of this "recreation" are NOT the same as the original. As the organisation in control of this project have decided they will attempt to improve upon the original design with the aid of modern technology !!!!

Cannot wait for this! I want to ride it

The largest steam locomotives built in Britain, but which did not operate there, were the New South Wales Railways AD60 class 4-8-4+4-8-4 Garret locomotives built by Beyer-Peacock Manchester, which were nearly twice the size of P2. They did operate regular passenger trains and were fitted with steam heating pipes.

Congratulations🎉👏🥳 on your success🏆💪👌👍💪👏

Good luck with the project, they smashed tornado so I think the P2 will go very well too. Nice to see at 2:45 some mid hants footage there

You get all the fun gigs.

Best footplate ride I've had was on the Derwent Valley Railway in Tasmania. Great experience but it wasn't on a P2. Congratulations. Love those shiny wheels, by the way.

I'm already planning my Lego P2 MOC. I should be able to install two motors, so as to give it accurate power.

Awesome! :)

Beyond Way Cool!

A video on the cylinders and cam boxes please. I would love that.

Regarding the boiler, I believe they are building 2 more, so that the P2 and the A1 share a spare, to reduce overhaul time.

I wonder how brave the A1 trust would be to build a new build hush hush with a different style of boilder? Its amazing how quick the P2 is coming together. I was watching one of Fred Dibnah's old programmes on steam locomotives the other day and it scarily showed Tornado in its early days of construction back in the early 2000's. The new build 3MT tank engine on the Severn Valley Railway is coming along nicely is at this stage of build and is just awaiting its boiler to be finished off.

Wow! do it again!

I just hope that someone get the same idea in Norway, and rebuild or build a copy OF "NSB Class 49" aka "Dovregubben" ("The Dovre Giant). (with adjustment to it's minor problems). her and her sisters was build to work on the steep inclines of Dovre railroad, With a lower top speed, for in return getting even more tractive effort. They was a beast in pulling power that would gladly compete with 9F, when it comes to brute pulling power. The Class 49 could deliver up to 2600 bhp over it's 4 cylinders. Would have been fun to see an Class 49, pull a large train up a steep railroad track

was going to say they got it done already, thought was still a few years off, didn't hear of massive progress but it looks like its definately getting closer. as you say in the video that actually doing it today, they often say we cant do it we dont know how, thing is its just a matter of money and willing to get it done there are places that can make parts though fewer then were decades ago, but there are giant foundries that can cast the parts and drop forges that can form out the giant forged parts, and the research in metal and pressure vessle design still continues, there are many projects in the uk, yet in the usa fewer even though its a giant land, we got restorations but only two or three new builds, the wisscasset watervill and farmington narrow gage, and the prr t1 they say it cant be done, but they already in 6 years boiler is compleat save one part and tubing, and now onto the frame

WOW

i be most impressed when they build the hush successfully.

Surely you know about the 2 being built in Sheffield. I believe they are destined for main line use.

Lovely! If You call THAT insane- I want that the new normal. And I ABSOLUTELY appreciate the scale of precision. I work on mechanics myself so I know about tolerances and the perfect feeling fit, there´s an art to it not any wrenchmonkey understands or likes. You have to have a sense for it. But what tickles me most is the boilers made in Germany.

Fantastic that it’s coming together. More powerful than the coal/iron puller Evening Star? Discuss.

The sheer scale of both the engineering challenges and the insanity of the people undertaking it is to be celebrated. I really hope this happens and I see it on the mainline as I’m rolling along in my Class 66.

I see that all 8 drive wheels have flanges. Don't the middle two axles usually have "blind" drivers, without flanges? This lets the locomotive negotiate sharper curves, which seems a handy thing...

Great locomotives made Great Britain great.

It would be interesting if they could construct the A4 streamlining kit to go with it as it might be interesting to see it in that form at a later stage ?

Would be interested in hearing the design upgrades to overcome the original design flaws, particularly the motion and front end steam passages.

There is (or possible was?) also another LNER P2 under construction by the Doncaster P2 Locomotive Trust, representing the class in their later form with the Bugatti front (similar to the A4s), which for me is the best looking version of these locos. Unfortunately I can't seem to find any recent information, last I heard they had cut the frames, but that was back in 2014

Yes a steam engine with the latest in ETCS.

I hope that they have better luck with the German boiler than 3801 (the Australian express pacific), which arrived and was found to be eliptical and out of square. So, they got technical college students to refurbish the old one.

It's funny to think that in the time it's taken to build this locomotive the man who's title it's named for became King of England

suprised it has brass bushing side rods instead of Roller bearings like larger late steam from the USA.

Oh I'm definitelty willing to make a Donation of 10 or £20 for Prince of Wales because I've been desperate to see her completed since first laying my eyes on this Welsh P2

More powerful than the 9Fs? Wow, I'm looking forward to seeing this in action!

You can tell fromTornado, trhe P2 and the future B4 that they are ba NE focused group, but, Bulleid worked for Ivatt and Gresley, indeed he worked on the P2s, it would be great to see what they could make of a Q1 though I might not be around to see it happen.

As a diesel enthusiast it would be nice for a new build Kestral, Lion or Falcon, A1A Warship , there is already a group working on a 22xxx Class 22 diesel;…the growing number of younger people now interested in the newer traction , this would be a real game changer, the tech is there, make it happen..

The missing thing is the use of international units in it. Even gauges on the cabin use weird anthropomorphic stuff like “inches” and so on

Once you make one you learn and want to improve the design also ways to make stuff go faster

I hope they will do the streamlined version as well

also loco no 82045 is a new build BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2T

The Gwr king class is and has been measured to be the most powerful steam locomotive made in the uk. Measured to have a higher tractive effort than the 9fs

I do like that they've chosen to replicate the front end of 2001/2002, rather than the wedge of 2003-6. The Gresley wedge is great, but there are quite a few A4's still around with it, whereas the front of 2001/2 was unique and highly distinctive.