P2 Locomotive Company and related matters

My post #3357 was in response to the reference in #3351 to "thrash". While there assuredly were occasions in the past when locos were thrashed, typically when a small one had to stand in for a large one, it would be difficult to thrash a Class 8 Pacific for long before running out of coal on the grate. If you did want to, oil firing could be the way to go, but I hope none of us envisages actually thrashing any loco nowadays.

All of this discussion followed from the P2 project's dubious claim about power. If they really expected the actual deliverable power to be more than that of Tornado, Blue Peter, the Duke, a Duchess or a MN, a few of Chapelon's and Porta's ideas would be the way to go. But they already dismissed those when Tornado was being designed.

 

• Tender Frames Delivered •

Last week, the P2 took another big step towards completion as the tender frames, which were being manufactured off site, were delivered to the Darlington Works.
P2 Project Director and Trustee, Richard Courteney-Harris MBE, commented: “This is a significant milestone in Prince of Wales’s build and is testament to the continued efforts of everyone involved to bring it to fruition. We’re absolutely delighted that we have another large piece of the P2 jigsaw back home and look forward to assembling the tender parts in due course".

 

Who is this Richard Courteney-Harris ?....the first I've heard of him...what his he.. engineer, candlestick maker...?

 

That'll be Major Richard Courteney-Harris MBE to you - late of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (or is it the King's Lancashire Regiment now?). Appointed as a Director of the Trust on 31/12/2020, in 2011 was a recruitment officer for the Army.

(info via the BBC, the London Gazette and Companies House).

 

So what ******* use his he ?

 

I would ask what skill set does he add to the trust? or is it becoming an old boys (former military) network with the enthesis not on engineering and fund raising but on military links?

 

Why all the negativity. Surely the delivery of the tender frames is good news and progress for the P2 Locomotive Trust. Since when did a guys military background become a reason for criticism?

 

I’m not sure what it’s becoming but the last three director appointment have been two consultants and a laboratory manager. It might be good to get someone who can pull the engineering and planning side together.

 

All I was asking is what skills does he bring to the table, He was I understand in recruiting, now if he had been in say REME, and had a knowledge of heavy engineering, then I could say, there's some cross match there, there's been some criticism that the trust has become too reliant on contracting in engineering expertise,

 

I think the answer is perhaps in the recruitment angle. But fund-raising, engineering, fabrication, raising the profile of the Trust? Mmm, not seeing that but then and again, we're not dealing with a perpetually-patched locomotive from the past here, but something brand new that will need VAB certification. Perhaps for that a very different approach is required.

 

Just the type of man needed to help build a steam locomotive................................... Salary ??????

It's good to see new bits and pieces being delivered...........it's .progress.

 

All right you lovely boys, At the steam engine to your front, Build, Wait for it, Wait for it,

 

I'd hope that the trust are using proper skills analyses to ensure a suitable breadth of skill across the board as a whole.

In general, I'd regard someone of that rank as potentially having useful experience of leadership, able to meld disparate people into a team and drive a result - whether engineering, recruitment, or any other. However, even if correct about an individual, there is a question of balance within a board.

 

A very pertinent point, one that’s been concerning me for several years now.

Regarding the long awaited tender frames, a more revealing paragraph not quoted above states …

“Of the £450,000 required to finish the tender, so far over £250,000 has been spent, with around half of that being raised by the dedicated fundraising effort of “The Tender Club”. The remainder has been funded by regular P2 donations, which diverts spend away from other areas of the project and affects the rate of the build. With work still required to attach the tank to the frames, affix piping and electricals and balance the wheels, we still need your support”

So currently the Tender Club has raised only £125k of the required £450k (which given inflation is probably somewhere north of £0.5m now). It would be interesting to see a review of status of all the various fund raiding clubs.

They state ….

“Further fitting out will be required for pipework and conduits, with discussions around European Train Control Systems (ETCS) requirements ongoing”

Assuming this goes ahead, then it is likely that as with Tornado the tender front will require extensive cutting up and replating for the necessary equipment cubicles.

I can only see the completion date receding ever further into the distance.

 

I've only started taking more interest in the P2 project on hearing about David Elliott's situation and sad demise. I had full confidence in the fact we had an extremely dedicated professional engineer powering this loco construction forward. Nobody is irreplaceable, no one. However I see there are now nine limited companies involved. There also seems to be an increase in non engineering personnel. I have no problem in contracting work to professionals, provided it is monitored rigourlessly.
There seems to be a lot of finger pointing around at the moment about the current regime, true or not, I don't know. I'm sat on the fence here..can anyone provide me with facts. A list of personnel involved would be a starter, and their responsibilities. To see this locomotive completed is all I want, along with countless others....it would be a dream come true for me...

 

"Raiding"...slip of digit I hope, and you meant raising..

 

You've clearly not worked in my field then - such a person would have the micturate extracted mercilessly and the team would ignore them, do their own thing but still achieve the end result. The industry I work in tends to have a lot of mavericks, creatives and also ND folk. None of whom take to having orders barked at them.

 

I'm having trouble finding that online these days, along with the list of trustees: pretty sure it used to be readily available on the website. Have you had any luck finding out?

Not uncommon for tax mitigation purposes: have you seen how many Jeremy Hosking has, for example? One of those companies is even behind the magazine The Critic (for the record, Locomotive 6960 Limited).

Meanwhile, another begging letter arrived this morning: GBP750 for the track at the new DLW. Sorry lads, but we're all feeling the pinch so I can't afford it.

 

Likewise ....these types only succeed in people working against them...

 

Like you no luck. I think so many companies is a bit OTT though...Hosking... it's his money...Darlington is public money..donations etc..