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The plan to build a locomotive designed by a famous South Derbyshire engineer has taken a huge step forward.

A major part of the Gresley class P2 steam locomotive No. 2007 Prince of Wales has now been delivered to Darlington Locomotive Works.

The tender tank, a large part of the unit is now in place as organisers behind the scheme, the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, confirmed it has hit the 70 per cent mark of the £5 million needed to complete the ambitious project.

The tank part is a fully welded structure made from weathering steel, which is also used on motorway bridges and the Angel of the North, to provide resistance for the locomotive against corrosion.

Tender tanks are used to carry a loco's fuel - coal, wood or oil, and water.

Mark Allatt, P2 project director and trustee, said: "We are delighted with the level of support that the project to build Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive has received since its launch.

"Thanks to our supporters' continued generosity, over £3.5m has now been donated or pledged, 70 per cent of the required £5m.

"We recently turned our attention to the tender which is now our major manufacturing challenge.

"Significant progress has been made with all three key parts of the tender – the wheelsets, the frames and the tender tank."

The project is scheduled to see the locomotive completed within three years.

The engine was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, from Netherseal, who also designed the famous Flying Scotsman.

The new engine was designed as a Gresley class P2 2-8-2 "Mikado" locomotive - the most powerful passenger steam engines to operate in the United Kingdom.

It was first designed by Sir Nigel Gresley in the 1930s to haul 600 trains on the Edinburgh-to-Aberdeen line.

The Mikados were rebuilt by his successor, Edward Thompson, later, but were scrapped altogether in 1961.