All the bodywork on the Evolution Class is made from 2mm thick 316 stainless steel sheet to protect the loco from corrosion. The hand formed bodywork is then bolted to a 10mm thick crinoline sub frame, which in turn is bolted to the locomotives chassis. The bonnet ‘nose’ is a solid aluminium casting machined to neatly fit the stainless and to accept the headlamps and the CCTV cameras. The handrail stations, also machined from solid stainless are bolted straight through the bodywork to the crinolyn, creating a very strong single bonnet unit that can be unbolted quickly from either end of the chassis and lifted via the handrails clear of the locomotive for servicing. 

Whether it be the styling or the construction, we’ve been careful not to skimp on the detail. The louvre doors for example are fabricated from individually hand beaten stainless louvres (180 of them!), all welded into a backing plate, which is then further welded onto an outer door ring, producing an extremely robust door with exceptionally good air flow. The doors are then hung using milled stainless billet hinges.

The front and rear of the cab are subtly curved, which both looks great and adds to the structure’s rigidity. The side valances contain storage space, and each have a folding door designed to tip any rain water clear as they open, and their faired in shape play into the curved cab which together with the sweeping curves of the footplate all interplay together in what we think is a particularly satisfying way.

The solid brass window frames are cast from our patterns to match the curved spectacle plate, machined to match both the convex and concave curves of the cab exterior and interior whilst still accommodating a flat disc of toughened glass gripped by captive ‘o’ rings.

The sand box lids and charging door are all neatly fitted on sprung, latched hinges damped by gas struts, and the cab side doors are designed to hinge in the middle before sliding neatly away to stow into tidy slots either side of the dashboard.