60163 Tornado
Tornado successfully returned to the main line with the Auld Reekie tour on March 3rd. Unfortunately there was some disruption for passengers on the tour as Deltic D9009 Alycidon failed on the return leg. It had proved a long road back for Tornado, which was unable to haul the North Briton on February 9th as intended, following the discovery of some problems on its first main line test run in January, probably caused by a priming incident during operation on the Nene Valley Railway. However, the A1’s tour schedule for the rest of the year has now been confirmed (with some changes due to gauging and infrastructure problems on the rail network), and there has also been a slight reshuffle of personnel at the Trust.
Another A1 rolls out of Darlington Locomotive Works! – 8 March
Test run success, FTR passed – 2 March
Tornado – A Royal naming ten years ago – 19 February
Tornado visits the Wensleydale Railway for the first time – 11 February
Tornado Update – 31 January
Test run results – 23 January
A1 and P2 in Darlington town centre! – 18 January
Board and management changes at the Trust – 21 December
New engineering and operations appointments – 12 December
Tornado Telegraph March 2019 (PDF)
Tornado Telegraph January 2019 (PDF)
Tornado Telegraph December 2018 (PDF)
Report on the failure of Alycidon – 4 March (Deltic Preservation Society)
GWR 9351
The West Somerset Railway has launched a crowdfunding campaign to complete the re-assembly of its GWR mogul 9351. Converted from an ex-Barry 2-6-2T to produce a design never actually run by the GWR, the locomotive ran successfully until its boiler certificate expired in 2015. At the time of writing, the appeal was nearly three quarters of the way to its £14,000 target.
1014 County of Glamorgan
The 4-6-0 County is now close to having its ‘face’, with the smokebox and saddle now complete. Meanwhile, design work continues on areas including the tender and connecting rods, while an original safety valve bonnet, bought some years ago, has been re-discovered in the workshop by the Saint team.
Press and progress – 26 February
Tender progress – 25 January
Happy faces – 18 January
Post-Christmas exercise – 12 January
3840 County of Montgomery
For the 4-4-0 County, the current areas of focus are the frames and the driving wheels: a second order has been placed with Tata Steel, which will complete the manufacture of all platework for the frames; while the pattern for the driving wheels (originally created for 2999) is being refurbished. Fundraising efforts reflect this, with a new ‘Forty 4-4-0s’ club to pay for the coupled wheels, joining the 100 Hundreds appeal and Founders’ Club.
Forty 4-4-0s club – 3 March
Anonymous donation of £2,000 – 8 February (Facebook)
Last chance to join the CCT Founders’ Club – 7 February
Wheel pattern loaded ahead of its move for refurbishment – 5 February (Facebook)
Second major steel order for No. 3840 – 23 January
Can you help out 100 Hundreds appeal reach its target? – 24 January
6880 Betton Grange
It’s all coming together for Betton Grange – literally, with the chassis being reassembled at Tyseley (by a combination of Tyseley’s staff and the group’s volunteers) and the boiler now fully riveted and about to be tubed.
More progress as locomotive goes together – 21 February
Latest Progress – 2 February
2013 Prince George
The George the Fifth group has been researching options for the layout of the firebox, with some slight modifications to the original design now seeming inevitable, but numerous permutations to choose from. Elsewhere on the locomotive, an order has been placed for the final parts necessary to complete the front of the locomotive, which will be displayed at Crewe Heritage Centre in July and August.
Order for new parts – 12 February (Facebook)
5551 The Unknown Warrior
Almost immediately after our last round-up in December, the Patriot group shared a lengthy update outlining the chronology of their move away from Llangollen, including multiple instances of tasks being completed unsatisfactorily or not at all, and other serious quality control issues. Llangollen has not issued any statement to give its version of events. Talks continue with potential contractors for the completion of the locomotive, with the option of the group undertaking the work themselves also being considered.
Chassis lifted – 6 March (Facebook)
Stretchers and spacers – 4 March (Facebook)
Support coach appeal – 1 March (Facebook)
Boiler being fitted with internal components – 16 February (Facebook, HBSS)
Boiler updates – 3 February (Facebook, HBSS)
Riveting on the tender frames – 25 January (Facebook)
Tender chassis progress at Leaky Finders, Devon – 16 January (Facebook)
Lubrication and other progress at Crewe – 15 January (Facebook)
Engineering update – 20 December
G5 1759
Progress on the G5 is being mostly documented in a series of Facebook updates. The group is continuing to hold its regular open days for anyone interested in seeing the work up-close and talking to the team.
Tank support brackets ready for heat treatment – 22 February (Facebook)
Pieces cut for tank support brackets – 20 February (Facebook)
Sneak preview of the motion brackets – 7 February (Facebook)
Rear cylinder covers and stuffing boxes – 22 December (Facebook)
2007 Prince of Wales
As usual, there is much progress to report on Prince of Wales. This includes further design work on the boiler, which should allow for an order to be placed in the first quarter of the year – so, hopefully, within weeks from now. This is one of the targets the project has set itself for 2019:
- Pony truck complete
- Boiler ordered
- Tender tank and frames substantially complete
- Electrical trunking designed
- Two air pumps overhauled for fitment
- Pipework layout designed
- Heavy motion partially delivered
- Cylinder block design complete and under construction
- Valve gear in manufacture.
Continuing the build’s high profile, Steam Railway magazine featured the front end of the P2 on its cover, in an apparently completed state. The effect was achieved by adding some new but temporary components, including a spare vacuum hose from Tornado, and the draw hook from the NELPG’s J72 tank engine, which is under overhaul nearby.
P2 roadshow at Darlington Locomotive Works – 2 March (Twitter)
Why not make Valentine’s Day hot and steamy? – 11 February
P2 roadshow at the London Transport Museum – 9 February (Twitter)
P2 roadshow at the Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough – 12 January (Twitter)
Latest ‘Steam Railway’ cover – 4 January
December construction update – 21 December
Mikado Messenger February 2019
Mikado Messenger December 2018
61673 Spirit of Sandringham
The static chassis of the B17 has receive approval from it Vehicle Acceptance Body, following an inspection in February.
8783 Phoenix
The bogie frame plates for the Claud Hamilton were delivered just before Christmas. The bogie will continue to be the immediate focus for the project, with CAD work underway for its next components.
Engineering update – Bogie Frame Plates
F5 789
The frame plates for the F5 are now being machined.
Engineering news – 22 January
The London Model Engineering Exhibition 2019 – 18 January
GCR 567
There are ‘exciting developments’ to be revealed in the next supporters’ newsletter for this project, due this month. On the engineering front, the bogie frame sideplates are being machined, and design work continues on a host of items.
32424 Beachy Head
A news update was issued by the Brighton Atlantic group just before Christmas (and just after the last New Build Steam round-up). Among the customary level of detail can be found pictures of the boiler, now outside and approaching readiness for a hydraulic test. However, this will be deferred as far as possible, as it will now mark the start of the boiler certificate period.
35011 General Steam Navigation
Keep an eye on the 35011 website and social media channels next Wednesday (March 13th), as the group are due to announce where they will be relocating the locomotive to. (New Build Steam will be out of the country in the week, so we aren’t able to delay this round-up to include the news.) Machining of parts and preparation of the locomotive for its move have continued.
New location to be announced on Wednesday – 9 March (Twitter)
Bogie spring beams being machined – 7 March (Twitter)
Working party – 23 February (Twitter)
January 2018 update – 1 February
3MT 82045
As was briefly mentioned in January’s ‘state of the nation’ round-up, 82045 has now been lifted onto Severn Valley Railway metals. The January news update from the group includes photos of it being shunted through Bridgnorth station and into the loco yard outside the shed. Work continues on a range of items as it awaits its turn in the works.
72010 Hengist
Work related to the frame assembly continues for the Clan, alongside CAD work for the front bogie, and both doors and steps for the tender.
New Build Steam 
“Lady of Legend”conspicuous by its absence. Or is it now considered complete, and therefore outside the scope?
Hi Mark – at the time of this round-up, there had been no new developments to report re Lady of Legend. The announcement of its launch date, and roll-out in black livery, were fully covered in the previous round-up.
I’ll be publishing a brief report from the launch event last weekend when time permits – I run this site in my spare time, so I have to fit it in around other commitments.
The GCR 567 newsletter was circulated to members in mid-March…. keep an eye out for it appearing on the group website in a few weeks. A number of components for the leading bogie (hornblocks, hornstays, frame stretchers and nuts and bolts) are available for sponsorship.
What is happening with the streamlined p2 cock of the north..no news no progress..no hope? ???
Hi Chris – no news, no progress, no hope seems to sum it up, sadly! See this article for why we’re not covering it any more, barring significant future progress. https://newbuildsteam.com/2019/01/27/feature-new-build-nation/
No T1 trust update?
Not this time, sorry! We focus on UK-based standard gauge steam projects, so when we feature anything else it’s as an exception. Though as it happens I’m not aware of any major new T1 developments recently.
Well there has been a new newsletter out https://prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org/store/newsletter.php?id=20
This is off the Facebook they have https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2144767432226223&id=591467160889599&ref=page_internal
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1773681556001481&substory_index=0&id=591467160889599