Flying Scotsman

I have double checked and true enough Tornado has very little mainline work this year. It has some preserved lines to visit but appears to be having a year of rather limited exposure. With all the work being carried out on the P2 and the difficulties with WCR perhaps this lack of activity is inevitable for the present. When 4472 emerges the focus of attention will shift and it will be interesting to see how the A1 Trust maintains the momentum of public interest in the face of what might be seen at one level as distracting events.

 

Some months ago I raised the question of which TOC would be responsible for the operation of FLYING SCOTSMAN on the National Network. I was told then that it was tool early to ask. From information released by the NRM it is clear Ian Riley's organisation will be responsible for the locomotives well being and that will include liaison with the TOC appointed by the NRM. Presumably 'The Black Hat' has knowledge that has not otherwise been made public that WCRCo have indeed been appointed as TOC. WCRCo would appear on the face of it to be the most appropriate / experienced TOC for the job but DBS and possibly DCR (particularly if they pursue an application for a passenger safety case) could also be in the frame. It could also be that more than one TOC is to be involved. Since the magazine revelations of 2012 it is notable that both WCRCo and DCR have both been involved in movements for the NRM.

 

Last week I (as a Tornado covenanter and P2 founder) emailed the Trust asking what plans they have to increase the number of main line days to anywhere near the 20-odd worked last year, and how severe the effect on finances will be if the number remains low.

No answer yet.

 

Has the take up on the 1-off tours already arranged s been worth the effort in terms of financial return ? is perhaps the qualifier.

 

Yes you can, Esholt sewage works ran their two locos on waste grease extracted from the sewage
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thanoz/4000513429/

 

Did it go like stink?...........................................

 

You can also capture the methane and use it as a fuel

 

Ideal fuel for the 'turf' burner...

 

Sorry but I dont have the exact confirmation of what is going to be happening. Just that the relationship between Riley, the NRM and WCRC is one that is tried, tested and works best. So good that other companies can sometimes kick up a pedantic fuss and try to cause friction - ala 47998 saga. Its just that when moves of import are needed by the NRM, WCRC are the ones approached. The moves for the A4s to Shildon, were all WCRC and after the railfest moves DCR are less reliable than some might have wanted.

Scotsman will get the best treatment as it always should have had to resolve the overhaul and bring the benefits of its completion. That means NRM owned, WCRC operated and two years under Rileys custodianship for it to be tested, tweaked and a maintanance regime worked out that matches the likes of his Black 5s. Its not confirmed, but if you look at the bigger picture you can see what will happen.

 

Engagement of a Train Operating Company does n't have to be an exlusive or even a fixed term arrangement beyond a single event in any case, but from a loco owners perspective if you know and trust the staff of one in particular you are going to prefer to use them. The relationship with a Rail Tour Operator is necessarily a bit more of a commitment. There are both entities operating under the West Coast banner which makes things a little less complex.

 

Appears that the completion date may again have to be revised! The following statement was issued by the NBM this week but does yet appears to have founds its way to their website.

July 2014

Flying Scotsman Restoration Update
The National Railway Museum is announcing that additional remedial work has to be carried out on the frames of Flying Scotsman, after the trial fitting of repaired steam cylinders highlighted additional problems not detected by a detailed examination by specialist engineers late last year.
Although the cylinders were removed from the frames of the 1920’s steam legend and extensive non-destructive testing carried out, an additional problem concerning the mounting holes for the cylinders was not apparent as the frames and cylinders were slightly out of alignment. The York-based museum has taken the step of having new partial front frames manufactured in order to correct this situation.
The National Railway Museum still anticipate a return to steam next year for the iconic locomotive, the sole survivor of the A3 class.

Paul Kirkman, Director of the National Railway Museum said:
“We knew that when we removed the cylinders there was a possibility of finding further problems that weren’t apparent with the cylinders fitted. This is one of those problems and we are working closely with Riley & Son and engineering specialists First Class Partnerships on how best to resolve it.
The frame condition appeared to be acceptable, however when refitting the repaired cylinders it became apparent that most of the mounting holes were elongated. Although we anticipated some repairs of these holes, we soon realised that an additional solution was needed.
The testing we carried out earlier in the year also revealed some limited issues with the condition of the cylinders, the remedial work on this, including the fitting of the valve liners, will be finished by the expert team at Rileys in the next few weeks.
We are working out the precise implications of this additional work for the completion date, but we still anticipate it to be next year.”

Allan Baker of engineering specialists First Class Partnerships said:
“The three cylinders fitted to the locomotive when it was acquired by the museum had not been secured within the frames to best engineering standards. The middle cylinder was of the incorrect width as well as being out of alignment and there was evidence when all three cylinders were removed from the locomotive, that some movement between the cylinders and the frame plates had taken place. As a result the majority of the cylinder-securing holes in the frame plates were elongated - this could only become completely apparent when refitting the corrected cylinders.
It was the number of holes and their close proximity to each other, along with the difficulty of correcting such a situation that led to this decision to renew the frame plates from just ahead of the leading coupled axle. This will also enable the new frame plates to exactly match the repaired cylinders without using shim plates in between the cylinders and the frames.”
Riley & Son (E) Ltd, Bury were appointed to complete the work in Autumn 2013 as an outcome of their successful tender bid to take on the high-profile work to bring a national steam icon back to the mainline.
Engineering specialists First Class Partnerships are continuing to provide specialist engineering and project management advice to the museum with regards to this complex project.

 

Makes interesting reading. So the locomotive, whose frames had a rearward three quarters renewal with the LNER, now has a frontward renewal in preservation.

We're all waiting and hoping for 4472 to come ASAP but it does sound like she is going to be a very well sorted machine when she finally does emerge.

 

Oh FFS! Not again! 2007 to steam first!

 

Not the worst of news. The cylinders are not far off completion and as might have been suspected the lack of alignment and quality of attachment of the same in times past has raised an issue. Do you weld up the holes in the old frame plate or replace the offending areas with better quality new plate? More satisfactory to renew.
I must admit to thinking that the NRM was badly let down by its engineering team from the very beginning of the overhaul. The locomotive was not in the best of shape and matters were made worse by the money running out. So in the circumstances why make assumptions about anything? If the NRM workshop was a woodworking shop there would have been mountains of firewood.
Did anyone think of involving the SVR? They have the Doncaster alignment gear. No is the simple answer. Who assumed that any of the work that had been carried out on the engine in the past 40 and more years was of the highest standard? No one working all those years ago would have expected the engine to work for longer in preservation than it did commercially.
You cannot blame the engine for the actions of the people that worked on it. Nothing wrong with an A3 but you cannot say the same about some of the who have had dealings in the past with the sole survivor.

 

Hopefully this won't add any conflict to the Elr plan to start to use the area of the works occupied by Riley's next summer. Might need a stay of execution if the repairs add to the duration much.

 

Cant see this causing that much of a delay. As noted above FS now in the realm of New build plus old Bits ( grange, county, night-owl, saint) Best Wishes and Good luck to Rileys with the exacting task of lining up...

 

Sounds like good practice for when the Clan is ready for building, at least all those bits will fit together properly!

 

I thought it was the front half of the frames that were renewed by the LNER?

 

Correct.