Tornado

I take it nothing has come out of Germany then about delivery dates, I would not be surprised if it's well into 2025 before the 1st boiler is ready, possibly 2026, but there's no point in having the boiler ready if the P2 frames are not the cylinder block and front truck still are not finished yet, that's why I think it's going to be about this time next year, assuming there are no more setback's and the funding is able to match the construction costs, As regards tornado, It might be better to move it to TYS in the new year, when things are not so busy, as at the moment TYS will be busy with its own tours programme and another month, or two, will not make that much difference

 

Was going to take a trip to Darlington last Saturday, but something else cropped up.

As the local reporter on the ground, i will make every effort to get down 1st week of December, and ask the questions..

 

It's gone deathly silent from the Trust regarding Tornado. Over 2 months since the last information from them except for advertising merchandise to buy. No mention of boilers in the last Mikado Messenger and the brief mention of the Convention gave me the impression it was more a Convention for the P2 than anything else.

No information as to what the various Trustees reports were at the Convention, unlike in the past.

Someone I met recently told me Tornado was still at Loughborough as that was the last news they had received from the Trust. They're what you might call an armchair Covenantor, don't do forums or social media, just receive the Trust communications for updates.

I don't think that lack of updates would have happened before the current board took over.

Dave B

 

Wansford (well, Stibbington really) will be very surprised to find that it's now in Leicestershire...

 

I’d have thought the Trust would be keen to get the loco mainline certified, given the dearth of air-braked 8P’s out there right now?

 

Given 60163's proximity to the ECML, surely that'd be a test bed to get it certified - and it's not like the NVR is running any trains at the moment.

 

At present they could have a mini gala with an A1 an A4 and a Jubilee after tomorrow.

Dave B

 

That'd be something...

 

Wansford Loco Update on Facebook says the A1 is currently in the shed under final snagging before its return to the mainline. Seems fairly standard process after a period of running

 

Unless there are plans afoot for it to substitute on a tour in the next few weeks. why the rush to get it tested and accepted? I still think it makes more sense to postpone any planned mainline testing until after the new year, and then introduce it on a couple of VT's tours in early 2025, when there is a better chance of fully booked trains, and whilst the Castles are undergoing maintenance unless the plans change and someone else requests it ASAP,

 

Hells teeth Martin, when the machine wasn't ready there was much wailing and knashing of teeth.........'why. what's the delay, why no updates,etc etc). Now there is some action, a bit of Facetube news, you are saying "what's the rush"? Surely it preferable to have the thing fit and ready to run

 

The "wailing and gnashing of teeth" was from the ever more improbable "it's in bits in one part of the country, but it will definitely be running next week over there" "updates".

Perhaps an approach of getting it ready to a plausible timescale might have finally sunk in, and then posters on here are demanding it be on the ECML next week. How many middle valve-gear sets do we need to spread over the mainline?

 

As many as it takes to run the whole Edinbugh to Aberdeen intercity service for an entire weekend would be my answer to that

 

Victor, at the moment VT are up to their armpits running their polar expresses, 4 trips a day each weekend, I can't see how they would have the time to test Tornado, iron out any snags, and ensure everything works as intended, as well as ensuring their main tours don't fall over, that's why I was saying delay Tornado moving to Tyseley until the new year, when things might be quite, then they can sort the engine out, run the test trains, and then announce the Tornado return special in the spring or when there is a gap in their programme to slot it in, to me it's being sensible .
I have criticized the management of the A1 trust, over the many own goals, over the many times when they on the face of it, don't appear to have a robust plan, can't get it right, and have been misleading, not by accident, but by design, then when the rumored problems such as the boiler not now fitting, turned out to be true, they did not explain it but kept quiet , and in the end had to come clean, the endless promising of the engine being available when it clearly wasn't Frankly the management have let the people who pay for them to glow in the reflected glory of what was achieved down,

 

It is an unfortunate effect of our modern "always on, always connected" world with its gaping maw of a 24 hour news cycle that people almost expect to be told when someone picks their nose: to say "when it's done, it'll be done" and say nothing more is no longer acceptable to many.

(As an aside, another hobby interest has had me following the Home Service programming during 1942 throughout this year. At that time - the middle of the war - there were just seven short news bulletins a day, two of which were usually non-English.)

As regards that "low blow" - de mortuis nil nisi bonum and all that - that occurred during David Elliott's time, before anyone points the finger at the current A1SLT.

I'm sure someone will get a chance to venture beyond the gate at Fletton Junction with 60163 and its support coach for a few light engine runs on the ECML and elsewhere before shoving 500 tons behind it.

I noticed that @guycarr360 is heading to DLW in early December and no doubt will ask appropriate questions.

 

The Trust have posted on FB this last week ….

 

No doubt attracted considerable support , financial and otherwise, from this imaginative venture.

 

I wish they'd spend less time sucking up to the military and more time building locomotives.

Never trust a man in a blazer.

 

I am trying to work out, is the A1 trust an engineering company set up to build steam engines that didn't make it into preservation, or a military charity the lines are becoming blurred .