Tornado

Well this aged like milk didn't it.

 

Inevitable cancellation. Boiler Inspector’s fault this time!

And setting themselves up to fail again next month.

What a **** show with still no one taking responsibility at board level.

 

Further postponement did appear inevitable for me, with an outsider's perspective, unfortunately.

This thread ought to be fun reading if I come back to it this time tomorrow...

 

Let's give credit where it's due - if you cut through the (limited) spin, that's an admission that they cut it very fine and the stars didn't then all align - as @Sheff and others have predicted. The revised plan looks, at face value, as though it may work as far as the NVR are concerned; it's impossible to form a view for the main line side.

 

The revised dates: https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/492/60163-tornado/e4bdf50d9225cd1860b830821b675d32

Will the main-line service on 21/9 run as planned? Or even the Driver Experiences on the NVR at the beginning of September? That could be a loss of £18,000 there for a railway that really needs the money, never mind the reputational damage it'll cause to the NVR as courses are cancelled for a THIRD time.

 

Lady Bracknell applies.

 

No, let's not.

 

Or will be able to visit in the October half term. Meanwhile, what will the NVR put on in its place? There was a dining special too.

 

Still no one on the Trust’s board taking responsibility for these repeated failures.

 

Just an addition - the NVR is still showing the Driver Experiences as being at the beginning of September:

https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/496/tornado-driving-experience

What this would mean is that 60163 would at least be main-line connected for any trial runs prior to 21/9.

If ever the NVR needed the crowd puller that was 60009, this is it. Both it and John Cameron himself were very popular there.

 

I suggest it in the spirit of the repentant sinner. There is at least a level of contrition and admission, and a semblance of planning. It's too little, too late - but everyone has to start somewhere.

 

Right now I'd hope for some good Old Testament-style retribution to be dished out...

 

I feel sorry for those who booked the tickets at the NVR, and now are going to have to cancel hotels etc, they, and the railway now are going to be out of pocket,
This farce has to stop, you can't go on promising an engine that isn't ready,
Perhaps those who have lost money would like to write to the chairman of the A1 trust, asking him how he intends to repay their lost deposits, and the NVR should ask the trust to make good their losses in agreeing to a hire, that they must have known they were never going to be able to fulfil.

 

It may well be richly deserved - but will do Tornado and the A1SLT little or no good.

I have been vocal on another thread which has, thankfully, gone quiet for a while now. Change, albeit less than I'd have hoped for, has happened, and needs time to work through. The project is greater than the individuals, and needs to be the focus - however satisfying it may be to wish dire retribution on the protagonists.

 

Email from 10 August 2023 to demonstrate how many Lady Bracknell excuses there have been:


Dear Supporter

It is with deepest regret that we write to you today to advise that we are cancelling the 21st Century Steam railtour programme for the remainder of the year.

We have worked tirelessly to provide a replacement for Tornado, to cover the dates that we had committed to this summer and early autumn. Unfortunately, it is not just that challenge that we have faced as we have endeavoured to resource carriages, a Train Operating Company to provide not only the advanced planning, but crucially drivers, firemen and guards for the dates, and catering staff and supplies as well. We have even faced late notice engineering works on The Welsh Marches train. We have tried every avenue, with much support from the supply chain who wished to help us, but this has proved to be too big a challenge to overcome, and we are beyond disappointed to need to cancel so many tours. Not only is it heart-breaking to let down our valued passengers, but it also hits this income stream that we rely on as a charity. All passengers have been contacted directly, and refunds will be issued in the coming days.

Alone, 'The Yorkshire Pullman' will be rescheduled in 2024, and the date for this will be confirmed shortly. Simply put, this particular train cannot run without Tornado, and so must be put back into next year. We hope that many passengers will stick with us as we intend to deliver the ultimate day out to Harrogate! We will also reschedule our visits to Dartmouth and the Welsh Marches in 2024 as well.

Today, we draw a line to reset, however this does not mean that No. 60163 will not be in steam for the rest of the year. On the contrary, we are putting maximum effort into returning Tornado to the rails in short order. The boiler is due to be painted next week, and the frames set to receive the wheels next week too, then the two will be reunited ready for test runs at the end of September and into October. We remain optimistic that Tornado will be running on heritage lines before the year is out, and is available for third party hire through the late Autumn and Winter.

Our Railtours team is also looking toward brighter days, and are already compiling a busy programme of trains to make up for lost earnings and allow more people to see and travel with the newly refurbished Tornado.

We thank all of our supporters for their continued patience and generosity through this prolonged period away from the rails. The whole team is 100% focused on delivering our much-loved locomotive back in top condition in the coming weeks.

Yours faithfully,

Steve Davies MBE
Chairman


How many Lady Bracknells does it take for the A1SLT’s leadership to do the decent thing? They are out of their depth, out of touch, out of trust from their supporters and out of time.

“You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you.”

 

Nope, sorry, can't agree with you. I'm afraid the projects very much depend on the actions of individuals. I now wonder how many promises made to those who funded 2007's build will be broken.

 

It’s time for regime change. Nothing else will fix this mess.

 

Starting with how much P2 money has been syphoned off to fund Tornado’s overhaul and how will it be repaid?