Ebor Flyer - A1ST and Tornado: 14/04/18

This sign is near where I live. I've always taken it to mean that if all the vehicles involved had been stationary at the time, there would have been no accidents at all. A bit like steam engines.

 

On a slightly different note, I dont do as many railtours as I used to because of the standing by window ban but it will be absolute zero tours in the future if they are formed of air-con coaches like this one was .. I wouldnt want to sit in them and just watch the sheep in the fields and not hear anything, pax wouldnt know if it was Tornado or the DB shed.

 

After all throughout this day it`s pleasant to see how much positive respons that have "grown up" at A1 trust facebook page , even people talking about donate money to the trust for an eventual repair. A great example to comply with. It`s Tornado`s 10th birthday this year and every "child" at this age is very happy to get some money as a present.

Knut

 

Amen to that. Whats the point on going on a steam hauled trip just to be shut in an air conditioned noiseless capsule for the day, especially with ticket prices as they now are!

 

I agree. I've been behind Tornado on preserved railways and on the mainline and it is a very quiet locomotive even with ventilators on a Mk 1 coach fully open. On the same topic it is a bit concerning that Saphos yesterday elected to use "modern era" Mk2 aircons for standard class whilst providing authentic Mk1s for diners.

 

The windows in the vestibules were allowed to be opened slighly ( the stewards checked them on a regular basis) . I was told on the S&C Plandampf that the doors between the coach and the vestibule were allowed to be proped open. I found in the baggage storage area next to the door an large empty plastic water container that I used to stop the door from closing, which allowed people to pass without being a trip hazzard. All the people who passed including stewards, the train manager etc left it in place. I was at the rear of coach H the first coach behind the support coach and we were able to hear Tornado.

 

I'm glad that your hearing seems better than mine and that you were able to enjoy the sound of Tornado. I was sitting half-way down coach H, so nearer to Tornado than you were. All I could hear was people around me talking about other rail trips they had been on and pontificating about everything to do with railways. That's my experience on most rail tours, whatever the coaching stock.

 

The Ebor Flyer 14 April 2018 – 60163 Tornado hauling 11+POB

Mrs W and I can drive to York, spend 5 hours there and return home. This would be a round trip of 150 miles, take 10 hours and cost around £50 with lunch. Or, we could drive to Preston on Friday afternoon, catch the train to Euston, stay overnight in a hotel. On Saturday I could travel to York behind Tornado, spend 5 hours in York and then return to Kings Cross again behind Tornado, stay overnight in the hotel and head for home late Sunday morning. This would be a round trip of over 800 miles, take around 48 hours and cost significantly more than £50. We (I) chose the latter; a 90 mph run behind steam was not to be missed.

The late news that the stock was to be BR Mk2s was a disappointment but nothing more than that. It would be interesting to know when the prohibitive wording in DBC’s steam operating conditions was spotted (max 75 mph for steam haulage of Mk1 stock) and who spotted it. Full marks for “finding” an alternative set of carriages and keeping the show on the road (or should it be rails?).

I arrived at Kings Cross just after 07.30 the train was already in the platform and a mixed bag it was; Tornado, support coach, 4 mk2s (peasant class) 2 mk2s dining, kitchen car, another 2 mk2 diners, crew & brake, generator car. Part of coach E was a makeshift buffet; so 12 coaches and less than 8 of them full of passengers; those intended for passengers were full. The weather was dry, a good steam day. I was in coach H (first behind the support, my luck was in – if only I knew!)

We were away 1L. At this point I have to say that I am not a regular visitor to London and the last time that I travelled north from KX was around 1980 (behind a Deltic); it was a warm Saturday teatime in summer, but I can’t remember the name of the loco. By Finsbury Park we were up to 34 (1L) and the dip before Alexandra Palace saw us up to 53(1L) and Tornado had no problem lifting the train up the 1/200 with 57 through New Barnet and 55 through Hadley Wood. We stopped at Potters Bar, for our only other pick up, 2L but a smart bit of boarding saw us away RT. On a falling gradient we reached 53 by Brookmans Park, 63 by Welham Green and were a shade under 70 through Hatfield. We slowed and passed through Welwyn Garden City at 54 before reaching our operational stop at Digswell Jn (2E) and after a 10 minute wait we set off (RT). There are plenty of tunnels on this first part of the line (and more to come).

By Welwyn North we were up to 45 which had increased to 59 through Knebworth, 68 at Stevenage and RT. On the falling 1/200 were up to 71 as we passed under the A1(M) but as we approached the “90 mph zone” we braked and were down to 48 (just beyond MP30.5 – if it exists, the ECML does seem to have been careless with its MPs!) Not to worry, we were soon accelerating, and quickly, touching 66 through Hitchen, two and a half miles further and we reached 80. By MP36 we were bowling along at 85, another 2 miles and up to 87 then after another mile we reached 90 and remained over 90 for a further half mile (max 91.1mph), there followed another mile and a quarter with speed in the high eighties. We began braking, 83 through Biggleswade, the braking continued and we came to a stop around MP43 on the fast line (time 09.11). At 09.22 it was announced that we had hit something on the track and Tornado had been damaged and we were awaiting a rescue loco; this was initially announced as being the loco that had worked the ECS in to KX but later changed to one from Peterborough.

There is no good place to fail but at least we were on a 4 track section of the ECML and not far from the crossovers at Sandy. Initially there was a block put on the Down Slow whilst inspections were being carried out; this was soon lifted. A couple of trains then passed at speed (on the DS and UF), a couple of subsequent trains then crawled past, looking for debris / damage? Trains were routed past us on the DS and “normal running” resumed. Eventually at 10.55, with the rescue diesel on the front (66744), we gingerly set off and at 25 mph we crawled along the DF. There were a couple stops before we changed to the DS at St Neots S Jn. There were another couple of stops before Connington Jn where the DS ends, luckily there was a suitable gap in the traffic and we sped along the 5 miles of main line (at 25) to Fletton Jn where the DS restarts. A little over 3 hours late we stopped in pl 2 at Peterborough. Time for a quick peer between the frames, none the wiser! then over the bridge for a pasty and bottle of water – you never know when you might get your next meal. 66744, Tornado and support coach were uncoupled and headed over to Eastfield. With 66106 attached to the front we left for York at 13.14.

Prior to arriving in Peterborough passengers were told; the train would continue to York where we could expect a stay of around 2 hours, or we could return south on Virgin EC trains free of charge on production of our “Tornado ticket” and that affected VEC Train Managers had been informed of the arrangement. Perhaps 20-25% of standard class chose to leave. Tornado was to be moved to Nene Valley Railway for examination and repair.

66106 is limited to 75 mph but what it lacked in top speed it made up for with acceleration. We gained some time by omitting the Grantham water stop but lost it again approaching Doncaster. We finally arrived in York at 15.05 (3h 40m late), but it was a nice sunny day!

A very quick spin around the NRM then a walk into the city centre for an ice cream and more water for the return journey. Back to the station, same loco, 17.04 departure, made planned “water stop” at Peterborough, dropped a bit of time regained it and more, 5E into Kings Cross. Back to the hotel, find Mrs W and out for some food. Sunday, breakfast then took the 09.45 from Euston and back home mid-afternoon.

The A1SLT must be praised for the way that they handled the problem on what had promised to be a landmark day for them. All decisions were made quickly and passengers were kept very well informed throughout. The arrangement with Virgin EC for passengers wishing to return south was typical of their attention to detail. We were informed that the A1SLT would write to lead passengers on Monday, this letter would include any compensation arrangements that the Trust may wish to offer. I am sure that they will discover what caused the valve gear to fail and be open and honest with their findings. On the return journey Graham Bunker apologised to passengers and reiterated that there was nothing to indicate that the problem was speed related. (Open mind required everyone!)

DBC must also be commended for the efficient way that they carried out the rescue and their ability to salvage the trip – highly professional. The role of NR should not be underestimated, routing trains not only around the failure but also afterwards as we crawled to Peterborough. Finally where would Tornado be without the good offices of the Nene Valley Railway? Broken in a siding?

So will 90 mph running continue and is it really necessary? Well, it can’t be necessary because we haven’t had it until now but it could be useful in certain circumstances. I don’t envisage mile after mile of 90 mph running (even if NR would allow it extensively) but perhaps on a tight path where some time may have been lost accelerating from stops or on climbs; a very useful tool to have in the bag to make up time and not obstruct faster services. If it is to continue will depend on the cause of the failure, if it is found to be speed related – then probably not.

However, the tour did at least some of what it said on the can – we reached 90 (and can openly say so). I have never seen as many stopwatches, notebooks, GPS recorders, track diagrams and excited gentlemen of a certain age in one place before. If there is to be a re-run will I be on it? Better than evens!

But what of Mrs W I hear you say, what did she do on Saturday? Mrs W went to London Zoo, but the elephants had “failed” and been moved to Whipsnade for repairs.

 

Watching this video again I noticed what looks like a fair bit of melted metal on the circled motion part. Or is it oil/lubricant?
A clue to what happened perhaps:

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

 

Oh dear! Poor Mrs W.

 

Chief Inspector of Railways at the ORR has said there will be a full investigation, even though they’re were no injuries

 

Ian Prosser's tweet says:

We will be looking closely at the Tornado failure on it's first partial 90mph run with Mk2 stock. Caused significant delays to services south of Peterborough

Sawdust.

 

understandable really, injuries or not.

 

I thought it highly likely...

 

does anyone have a drawing of the full set up of the damaged part , so that its possible to have an idea how it works, and from that an idea of what may have happened?

 

What ended up on the track were the components labelled 9, 11 and 12 in the diagram found at this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walschaerts_valve_gear#Technical_details

...namely, the drop link (linking the valve gear directly to the crosshead), sheared off; the combination lever, similarly sheared, and the union link which attaches them together...

(except of course it was Tornado's inside valve gear that failed, not the outside as shown in that diagram, but it all works the same AFAIK)

 

Also, here's a useful little animation showing how the valve gear works... https://media.giphy.com/media/FE52oxtVSxZJK/giphy.gif

 

The 66 gradually lost time from the Fletton stop and only recovered it when the signallers left us on the fast line from Digswell. Tornado would have struggled within a 75 limit. I agree with Al about a more flexible speed limit but only 90 mph timings can give certainty

 

I'm sure that there are plenty of people who have such drawings - not least those who built it! Why not just be patient and wait for the outcome of the investigation. Or are you planning to conduct your own investigation on Nat Pres?

Peter

 

Correct they were very free running locos