Tornado

But which bit gets fitted with ERTMS???

Probs quicker to build 60164 as 'Plan B' than sort that one out!

 

Was at NVR yesterday. Putting it back together soon is the plan.

 

I can't imagine anyone wants to see it bits for too long!

 

Certainly work going on today - smoke box door open, looked like the middle valve covers off.

(Apologies for the poor photo quality - I had only gone to the NVR for lunch and only had my phone's camera with electronic zoom to fall back on.)

 

Looks like the middle valve being installed.

 

Tornado still in the same position at NVR today. Valves and pistons removed from all cylinders, no sign of anybody working on it.

 

Can't see it making the 10th July run at this rate.

 

A friend who lives in Lincoln has booked on this tour. He has rung up about what is happening, will the tour run, is Tornado likley to haul it. Was met with evasion and half truths from Tornado Railtours office. Given what he has spent on four tickets not good enough.

 

Let the armchair speculation commence...

 

Have to say I feel someone who has spent several hundred pounds on tickets is entitled to a reasonable answer as to what the current situation is. Evasive answers will only lead to speculation.

 

Fair comment.

So what was actually said, to avoid speculation about that?

 

Define "evasive" - you've made a couple of accusations in quick succession including "half truths" - what was actually said?

Parts are being manufactured for Tornado and there's been a number of updates showing this. Reassembly is quicker than manufacturing in some instances, so just because work isn't currently happening on the locomotive at present doesn't mean she won't be ready in time.

I know there's a lot of hard working people, including a couple of volunteers living far away, who've gone round to do some tidying up on the locomotive's paintwork this week (including polishing up) so there's been some work done externally.

Everyone involved is working hard to make sure she fulfils her duties this year. Nobody in the trust or outside of it (I hope) wanted her to fail on the Ebor Flyer - nobody involved wants her to be sat around doing nothing either.

I know it's frustrating when there isn't a definitive answer to "will she or won't she pull X train?" but sometimes you have to take the will for the deed and be patient.

 

Absolutely.

But you haven't told us what those evasive answers were, and you are the only one currently creating conditions for said speculation.

 

The answers were, as I understand it, from the woman in the office. " we have lots of passengers asking this question. The trust wont tell us the situation, machining is still on going, no idea of progress and when questioned about a potential loaded test run prior to the date her answer was we may not need one"

 

That's hardly evasive, in my opinion. That's pretty much the known situation. Work is carrying on, there's a question mark over a loaded test run and there's not much to report other than that.

I know it's frustrating not to have a definitive answer - but to me that's not evasive. That's honest.

 

Maybe vague would have been a better description.

 

Or cylinder/valve liner being rebored.

 

A good point - that could be necessary.

 

Agreed, in view of Post 4606. The original photo wasn't clear enough to differentiate.

 

Or conceivably - just opportune, rather than strictly necessary. If you were 3/4 through the mileage to needing a P&V anyway and you then had to unavoidably strip the loco down, it would probably be worth bringing the P&V forward rather than boxing everything up and then having to take it all down again six months later.

Just an observation of possibilities, not direct knowledge of the loco’s specific maintenance schedule.

Tom