This is another chance to hear Rob Morland's excellent talk, courtesy of The Welding Institute. It was fully booked when we presented it in February.

Building Britain's Most Powerful Steam Locomotive

Speaker: Rob Morland BSc (Hons) CEng FIET

Rob Morland will describe the project to build and operate a Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific steam locomotive, the 60163 "Tornado", for mainline and preserved railway use, and progress on the project to build a Gresley P2 2-8-2 to be named "Prince of Wales".

A1 Pacific 60163 Tornado heads the Torbay Express at Teignmouth. Credit: Mark Wilkins

In 1990 a group of people came together to share an extraordinary ambition – to construct a brand new Peppercorn A1 Pacific steam locomotive. They formed The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and after nineteen years of incredible effort that locomotive, No. 60163 Tornado, moved under its own power for the first time in 2008.

Now the same group is building a second new locomotive – this time it is a Gresley P2 2-8-2 to be named “Prince of Wales”. When it is complete it will be the most powerful steam locomotive operating on the British main line.

Rob's talk will begin by telling the story of Tornado's design and construction, recent operations, an amazing tale of cooperation, some of the engineering challenges of maintaining a steam locomotive to meet the tough requirements of today's main line, and will outline some of the features of the new P2 which will set it apart from the original locomotives and ensure that it turns heads wherever it goes.

See www.a1steam.com and www.p2steam.com for more information on the locomotives and for details of how you can get involved.

Rob Morland is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IET. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust since 1993, when he created the first electronic project plan for the locomotive construction. In 2006, with the engine nearly complete, he took on the role of Director, Electricals and designed and built an all-new electrical system for the locomotive. Over the past three years he has designed and built another new electrical system, this time for the A1 Trust's rebuilt support coach. He now maintains both systems, alongside being a regular member of the A1 support crew, looking after the engine on main line tours and preserved railways around the UK. Rob is now actively involved in planning the electrical system for the P2 and sits on Network Rail's Heritage Stakeholder Group, which is advising on the fitment of ERTMS to the heritage steam fleet. When he's not working with the A1 and P2 he enjoys driving on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. In parallel with this he runs his own consultancy company, operating in the product design, social media, mobile telecoms and railway communications fields.

Date: Wednesday 16 November 2016

Time: Buffet at 18:00, talk starts at 18:30.

Venue: TWI Ltd, Room G3, The Bevan Braithwaite Building, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL (directions) Note that following the opening of the new Granta Centre, visitor parking arrangements at TWI have changed.

Free to attend. Open to all.

PLEASE PRE-REGISTER FOR THIS MEETING - see the organiser's webpage, or contact Alan Shand.

RSVP (and for more information and directions) to: Alan Shand Tel: 01638 667788 Email: alan.shand1@virginmedia.com

A poster for this talk can be downloaded here: TWI Poster 16 Nov 2016.

This event is organised by the Eastern Counties Branch of The Welding Institute.