A MISSING component needed to help construct the first steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost 50 years has been found on an internet auction site.

The discovery of the electric marker light ends a seven-year search by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, in Darlington.

Its discovery comes at a particularly important time for the trust, which is building a Peppercorn class locomotive from scratch, as work on building the tender is nearing completion and it is steadily reducing the amount it needs to raise to complete the project.

The trust acquired three of the four marker lights from a railway enthusiast off-loading some of his collection in 2000.

However, it still needed a fourth to go on the central buffer beam of the Tornado locomotive.

At the end of March, Peter Neesam, who is helping to make and fit the cladding for the boiler, found the fourth lamp while searching for railway memorabilia on the Internet.

The trust secured the winning bid in the middle of April and bought the lamp for £147 and £167 postage.

However, it is now searching for four more lights to be fitted at the back of the tender.

Trust chairman Mark Allatt said: "By the position of the marker lights, you could tell what type of train it was pulling.

"They are quite unusual as most trains of that period used paraffin lamps.

"However, these types of trains often carried the paraffin lamps as well, as the generators were not very reliable.

"We now need four more for the rear. They can be specially made at a price, but we would prefer to find originals."

Work on the locomotive is progressing and it is due to steam later this year and enter main line service next year.

The finishing touches to the tender are being completed at Northview Engineering, in Darlington.

The amount of money the trust needs to raise has fallen from £98,559 to £91,261. It comes a month after the funding gap dropped into five figures.

Mr Allatt said: "We are delighted that our supporters' generosity means that we are steadily reducing our funding gap, which will enable us to meet our project milestones."

Anyone who wants to help sponsor the locomotive or who has information about marker lights is asked to call 01325-460163.