Tornado to haul PAD to PNZ sleeper on 6 April ?

Anyone heard this, or know if there's any truth in it ?

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@radiowoodley Credible talk of steam locomotive Tornado hauling the Pad-PZ sleeper on April 6 - what a way to reopen Dawlish if it does!

 

According to Network Rail..maybe not...

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/71091.aspx

• The Night Riviera Sleeper services will resume from the evening of Wednesday 9 April.

 

Yes, I did wonder. I guess it's possible a Tornado run, IF there's any truth in it, will not be a public train, i.e. some kind of special private charter. I really can't imagine, FGW after everything that has happened in their territory recently, wanting to risk something like this, just in case it backfired, though I'd imagine a special run could be a very easy sell out for the novelty value alone.

As always, time will tell

 

If it's a PR train I could understand using Tornado, (and somewhat the irony of it, in the name), but why a sleeper, for PR purposes it would be a noon train to make the evening news.. ?
- don't get me wrong an overnight mainline steam trip I'd be all over, and probably not a lot of sleeping !
When was the last overnight mainline steam railtour ? (Royal Train excepted).

 

Yes, it does seem an odd choice from a PR point of view. I picked this up from Andy Roden's (ex RAIL) Twitter feed. Andy, you may remember campaigned hard in the fight to keep the Night Riviera running, which makes me think he may have some connections. He has described the talk of Tornado hauling the Sleeper as "credible", but not put any flesh on the bones so to speak.

Just looked back on all his tweets on this matter, (copied below), and it sounds like something Andy is campaigning for, suggesting rather than reporting as a "work in progress" A lot of the tweets are directed at potential "interested parties" with a view to starting something I suspect. Given AR also started the #reopentheLSW hashtag, this may be his way of generating support for things he's passionate about.

Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@radiowoodley Credible talk of steam locomotive Tornado hauling the Pad-PZ sleeper on April 6 - what a way to reopen Dawlish if it does!

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11h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
BTW, I’m not raising the prospect of @60163_Tornado on the #nightriviera out of wishful thinking. It is seriously credible. #Dawlish

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@ZIP_N0LAN @60163_Tornado Well, all retweets are appreciated: this really can happen...

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@GaryBoydHope Credible calls for 60163 on April 6’s Padd-PZ Night Riviera - what a spectacular way to reopen #Dawlish

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
And for those who think it’s pie in the sky, industry sources say #tornadoontheNightriviera is perfectly feasible operationally... #Dawlish

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@BenPBradshaw @alisonseabeck @drwollastonmp @olivercolvile Calls for #dawlish to reopen in style with @60163_Tornado on first Pad-PZ sleeper

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@AndrewGeorgeLD Will you support reopening the railway in style on April 6 with steam engine @60163_Tornado hauling the sleeper from London?

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@AMMorrisMP Would you support reopening #Dawlish in style with steam engine @60163 hauling April 6’s #NightRiviera sleeper from London?

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@ZIP_N0LAN Perhaps - but we’ve suffered down here with #Dawlish closed. Let’s reopen it in style with @60163_Tornado on the #Nightriviera!

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@visitsouthwest With #Dawlish reopening sooner than expected, would you guys welcome @60163_Tornado hauling the first Pad-PZ sleeper train?

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@ZIP_N0LAN @FGW @networkrailPR It’s about announcing the South West is open for business again - it’d work, and it’d be good...

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@FGW @networkrailPR @60163_Tornado It’s perfectly feasible operationally - and the publicity gains would be vast, wouldn’t they? #Dawlish

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@FGW Is @60163 hauling the #Nightriviera pie in the sky? @FGW - how good would it look with FGW and NR logos on the tender one day only?

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12h

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
@BBCSpotlight @BBCCornwall @BBCDevon Calls for steam locomotive @60163_Tornado to haul first Pad-PZ sleeper through #Dawlish on April 6...

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
After all, if @60163_Tornado is available, it would be a hell of a way to say the SW is open for business by running it on the #NightRiviera

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Andy Roden @AndyRoden1
Here’s a thought @FGW @networkrailPR - let’s run @60163_Tornado on the first Pad-PZ sleeper when #Dawlish reopens. #celebrateagreatjob!

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If this is going to happen wonder if DBS will have crews available, remember a couple of years ago they said they didn't want to do any more steam trips down to Cornwall.

 

Isn't Tornado out of gauge west of Plymouth(/Par?) though? I'm sure I read on one of these threads that it is...

A nice idea though.

James

 

Well Graeme Bunker has tweeted tonight that Tornado could be made available, but only if the A1LST is asked by the various parties who may be interested in making it happen.

 

Wouldn't it best honoured by a GWR or Southern region loco, than a LNER one

 

Speaking personally, if the re-opening of Dawlish is to be marked by a steam working I'd rather it wasn't one running through the night using air con stock with little or no opportunity to hear or see anything. Maybe if they could tack a few Mark Ones onto to back of the regular sleeper set, bit like the formation of the old Inter City Land Cruises it could add a bit more interest for enthusiasts.

Suspect Tornado is the only locomotive with the capability to power all the on board electrics of the NR set, or do we take it as a given that a 57 would be invited along for the ride ?

 

Tornado doesn't have that capability - so yes, a diesel power supply of some description would be needed for the on-train electrics.

 

Personally, I think this will happen. They just got the date wrong. It's due to happen on April 1st.

 

I agree. It will definitely happen before 12PM.

 

Find one that is a)available, b) fitted with air brakes and c) has as high a public profile as 60163. Narrows the field a bit.

 

I wonder if they will run a class 50 on it the other way ?

Tbh wouldn't the sleeper be a good rev rec oppourtunity to put heritage traction on... 46233 to Scotland would be fun.

Anyone.. What was the last steam hauled sleeper in the UK ? (45212 Aug 4th 1968 at Preston ?) has it happened in preservation ?

 

What is needed is an "Ethel" equipped with the Metcalf Baking System.

That opens up a whole host of posibilities!

 

IIRC there was a rail tour from Scotland to the West Country and amongst other things it traversed the Dart Valley line. At least one bod took to his sleeping berth to claim he'd travelled on a sleeper on a heritage railway. The year 1974 springs to mind for some reason.