P2 Locomotive Company and related matters

Similar to the GWR system? Having the cylinders in place might make fitting the truck a bit more involved but not, I suspect, impossible. Removal of the pony truck on any engine was common routine repair and maintenance, if only to provide access to the underside of the middle cylinder.

 

At this rate, will the P2 be completed in time to replace Tornado, when its 7 year ticket expires? A boiler due how many years ago, that was said to be ready soon, is if reports are true, nowhere even looking like a boiler, has not progressed beyond pressing boiler plate, you have to ask, why, the most common fault is money, or lack of it, for when projects stall, On the face of it the trust is showing signs that there are problems, yet the accounts show that there is money availible in the boiler fund, for this boiler but clearly the builder is hampered by sometthing, I actually am questioning where did the money to overhaul tornado's boiler come from, did it in fact come from the P2 boiler fund, and that's why work has stalled on the next boiler for the P2?

 

Dont ever recall seeing a picture of Tornado boiler and new boiler no 1 next to each other !‍♂️ However there is a picture of one largely externally complete from last October, and so i wonder how far its actually progressed and whether tubes and firebox fittings wont be done in the UK now after what happened with Tornado
Also the possibility is that there is a sizeable payment on delivery and until a required delivery date can be given to the supplier for when 'P2 is ready to receive a boiler' the supplier only needs to get so far with the work...

 

With the protracted overhaul of Tornado, coming to a conclusion (hopefully), why have a big chunk of money sitting in Darlington, in another boiler, when Meineghan could complete in say 2 months.
It will take longer than that to complete the pony truck, and fit the cylinder casting, before they can even think about the boiler.
You then pay off the final staged payment, when you need to, as for fittings and tubes, do we know they are ready / acceptable by the insurers, after the last experience.
Still think the chances of a 2025 unveiling are fading fast, what nobody knows is how much is ready to "bolt on", as assembly could be swift.
It also seems that many processes are now subbed out, that leaves you at the discretion of their willingness to expedite work.

 

So why not say to the rest of the trust supporters, this is the plan going forward? that the boiler has been brought this far, and will be finished after the cylinders are on, assuming it is only a matter of a few months work, The problem is this vacuum of information from those at the top, no one knows how things are progressing, for all we know this might have been an already agreed stage, that the boiler would be progressed up to a certain point, As regards the tubing, at the very least , I hope that the boiler inspector will be on hand to witness the tubes being fitted and the welding done to the agreed standard, so there is no repetition of what happened with Tornado, , in fact it should be taken further with inspection during the assembly stage to ensure everything is as it has been agreed , that there is no distorted platework, or heating/ stress related problems over welded sub-assemblies.

 

I'm reckoning on 2027 at a minimum now; and you're right in saying with that so much being subcontracted out that you are very much at the mercy of the subcontractors.

The only thing I'm unsure about in your post is the speed at which Meiningen could work.

 

Do I take it that nothing much was said, and nothing much asked about the boilers at the convention ? , everyone too giddy about the precious things of the shop...

 

2027, i am betting on it being nearer to 2029, because i can see the funding drying up, or not keeping up with the costs involved with sub contracting out of the assembly of the P2, costs are already well above what they were when the project was launched, and are not going to get any lower, and of course rectifying mistakes made along the way, caused by a lack of oversite of each stage of the assembly,

 

No idea, why dont you ask them, the email address is

• 
  enquiries@p2steam.com

or you could call them instead 01325 460163

I might call in for the next open day, they are only 25 miles away.

If i hear anything i will let you know....

 

So, is all that fact or just your speculation of things?

 

It's Martin. Do you need to ask?

 

I'm just reacting to the points others have brought up, the trust isn't saying, so no one knows what is fact, but Is what i have asked so bad, ?
I'm not blaming anyone just asking, why can't the facts be published, then at least it becomes clear, what the plan is and the timescales, because without facts, are we all not left guessing? and so far, a lot of the rumours have been proved right, the boiler problems, the clearances, the need to turn down new tyres, all pose questions about why these mistakes have occurred, and could they have been avoided, and what's being done to prevent further setbacks. you will disagree with me, I know, but I think these are valid questions.

 

They are indeed valid questions but what you are suggesting they should do is based on pure speculation by you regarding the boilers.

 

It's gone very quiet about this loco.......

 

We visited the Hopetown workshop in late September and one of the volunteers observed that thre was little progress because everyone was at Loughborough sorting out Tornado

Sent from my SM-A105FN using Tapatalk

 

Ceartainly nothing going on when I vsitied last week, even the push button light for the view ing galler wasn't working!

 

There's a comment on their facebook page (don't think official comment) stating that a further delay will be caused by delay taken up by transforming the workshop into a "world class" resource to support the S&DR celebrations.
And no public photos of any progress...

 

Still no sign of the new boiler(s) then?

 

Had a look on the P2 page and group, can’t see anything along those lines?

 

A couple of screen shots as I couldn't do it.
all on one