Tornado

That is a very good point, and I fully agree with you. I would also add a lot of our heritage is ignored in the form of tank engines, big tender engines seem to steal the limelight (how many of the current new build projects are tank engines compared to tender engines for example).

An A1 is not a massive gap, it is a bid to complete a set of similar engines (just as the Grange is IMHO). Not to say that building them is a bad thing, far from it, but there are other more deserving candidates. What about such things as the LBSCR Baltic tanks (not many big pre-grouping tank engines out there), or pre-grouping freight engines (bar the SECR and NER), in addition to the ones you mention above.

The NRM has in the past mentioned that it regrets its lack of freight engines because the people who purchased the engines bought the ones which "took them to public school" in glamourous 4-4-0s and the like, I get the feeling there is a similar mentality now (I remember this engine from my holidays in the 1960s, as such lets build a new one)

 

It would be interesting if someone wanted to build a humble 0-6-0 like a J38 and see what the response would be.

 

well not a massive gap, it is a gap none the less.

i do agree with the broadgauge issue but where would you run it with decent length?
its a bit useless just being static

 

Perhaps the thing to do is convert a fairly short ex-GWR line to mixed standard/broad gauge to take the loco and build appropriate rolling stock over an extended period of time? That would make an interesting and certaintly unique project, much like Tornado.

I have thought a fair bit about contributing towards Tornado, but being a Northen engine and me not being a fan of them, I have always been reluctant. Perhaps, being a Western man, I should be supporting 6880... :-k

 

Well it is a large engine and it does weigh quite a bit so in that sence it could be called massive.

 

A late 19th c GER 4-4-0 for me. Poetry in motion. Or a Raven Pacific.

 

As I have stated before, good luck to the Tornado boys and its a great achievment, I just would personally of rather seen something a bit more practical and economical to maintain and operate. Pacifics on preserved lines dont fit and it seems strange to spend £2m on an engine for the mainline when steam doesnt have that secure a future on the network...

Should've been a L1 or V1, V3, V4.

 

Well we can all have a go at thinking what they might do next but to be honest i think that everyone would be a better situation if we all knew which classes had there drawings or at least some of there drawings so that ether future new builds or the preservation groups that keep and restore engines can go there and look up the designs. It has struck me as odd that there hasn't been a archive in the NRM dedicated to the storage, preservation and rescue of locomotive drawings and designs.

 

Broomhalla, the NRM has a huge archive of steam locomotive drawings. Many of these drawings are not yet catalogued. Unfortunately it is not a complete collection due to the destructive, short-sighted attitude of railway and loco works management over the years. Also Glasgow University has a massive archive of loco drawings from the various Glasgow locomotive works such as North British.

 

Well, for example, how much interest is there in finishing off Tyseley's Bloomer? Not a desperately useful engine on preserved lines I grant you, but a working replica of a mid 19th century 2-2-2? That's got to be more interesting than many newbuilt projects. But people now in their 60s, with the money now, didn't photograph them while bunking sheds in their youth, so the interest just isn't there.

One of the first railway books I had was O. S. Nock's 'Pocket encylopedia of British Steam Locomotives'. Because I poored over its lovely colour illustrations in my childhood, I find the 'Sturrock steam tender', or a 'Skye Bogie' to be as interesting, if not more so than an LNER pacific.

Of course we have the Brighton Atlantic, but would anyone seriously consider building this if it wasn't for the boiler existing?

The Grange and the Patriot will at least be of some use on preserved lines, though of course the Grange is no more of a 'massive gap' than the A1 is. But as I said, if that is what people want to build, then they are welcome to it.

 

i send my spare ink cartridges to the bloomer project

 

I've got a copy of that book from my Grandad - it really is fascinating to see all the different locomotive designs from the 19th Century.

Regards,

Dan

 

steaming must been soon now, is there are date in jan?

 

See thread viewtopic.php?f=28&t=12852

 

Surely the posts in that thread would be better merged into this thread to have all the discussion about Tornado together

 

Have moved the topic here, as it wasn't really in the right section before, and have locked the duplicate thread, instead of this one, as this has more posts.

Latest update on the A1 website, shows it passed its hydraulic test on Monday. =D>

http://www.a1steam.com/update.html

 

it should be steaming now!!!!!!!!!!!!


tornado mainline tour here we come
\/ \/ \/

 

The fire was only lit at 2pm. There will be no chance she has generated enough steam in 1 hour and a half.

 

i am guessing that the fire will be a warming fire and full pressure will not be reached today most probably tomorrow time to pit a boiler to full pressure from cold is dangerous as it streses the metal too much reulting in serious problems/defects

 

well you know what i mean lol