Tornado

From the A1 website : -

2017

• Saturday 11th February ‘The White Rose’ – London King’s Cross to Leeds – A1SLT promoted tour, bookings through UK Railtours
• Wednesday 1st March – ‘The Red Dragon’ – A1SLT promoted tour, bookings through UK Railtours

 

In between acting as a 'Thunderbird' for the Torbay express, working the Belmond Pullmans and working tours for the A1SLT, Tornado acquired a new nameplate while she was at the Nene Valley Railway:

https://www.a1steam.com/2016/09/14/friday-26th-august-new-nameplate-tornado/


Foxy

 

I appreciate the rename and renumbering thing is a sensitive issue to some, but could/would the A1 trust allow a short rename and number to A.H. Peppercorn at some point?

 

Not sure the A1 Trust would but Jeremy Hosking maybe able to help out. Mainly because no A1 carried the name A.H. Peppercorn, however Peppercorn's first A2 525 did which means it would be possible for 60532 to run as her for a spell if JH so wishes.

 

I do realise it was an A2 that carried his name but it would still be a nice tribute from the A1 folks, I recall seeing photos of 60532 in disguise as Sugar Palm when first restored, I'm sure JH would be ok with a temporary rename/numbering if put to him.

 

I do agree it would be nice to honour Arthur Peppercorn in such a way. I know its probably a pipedream but it would be nice to see 60532 as 60525 A.H. Peppercorn and 60163 to briefly carry the name Dorothy Mather while retaining its number. Would be a lovely tribute to them both and especially Dorothy who was so supportive of the A1 Trust.

 

Tornado to get state-of-the-art charter train! 90mph testing for Tornado in spring 2017, new mainline connected base and Gresley class V4 planned:
https://www.a1steam.com/2016/10/04/tornado-get-state-o-art-charter-train/
Foxy

 

You beat me to it! I did have to check it wasn't April the first having read the article!!

 

I hate to be negative but that's a lot of ambition from a team that have yet to buy Tornado's tender outright !

 

Never mind, just where is the money for that little lot coming from? - Brinks Matt?.....................

 

Maybe. But that ambition has already realised an A1 and a large chunk of P2 - both of which were labeled "it will never happen".
Great to see the vision being shown - and the organisational plan to see it through.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Wow! Seriously impressive news, being honest someone's had to take the lead and do something regarding charter stock, some of it it's shocking. What a forward thinking group they are. Next question what colour are the V4 and V3 going to be... (Taking cover!)

 

I had to do the same, but fair do's to them for trying to get 90mph running.

 

Then don't be! A new Pacific a 2-8-2 33% built and a vision for the long term future and you are bothered about raising a few quid for a tender. I was going to say your glass was half empty but do you actually possess a glass?

 

The A1ST's achievements to date are indeed fantastic. But the last thing I ( and you ) would want to see is any project undermined by being over extended. £200k for the tender is not 'a few quid'.
As for glasses, we'll compare contents in the Grog in a few weeks.

 

Money is relative Scott, 200k is a few quid compared with the sort of money they are spending and Tornado already has a tender they just don't own it. I'm not sure if you are a Trust member but there are some very astute businessmen involved and although I don't know the funding details yet ( I didn't get to the convention ) I'm sure it has all been costed properly.

As you say I'm sure we will be discussing this over a pint of something very acceptable from the Atlas Brewery in a few weeks!

 

Hells teeth, that's ambitious, good luck to them I say and roll on 2019. They were ambitious with Tornado, if past record is anything to go by they'll pull it off.

 

The 90mph running has been an aspiration from the start, but I must admit (and I'm probably not the only one) I had almost forgotten about it. The comments of those who travelled on Bittern's 90mph runs a few years back still stick in my mind - it was an exhilarating experience and one I wish I'd sampled.

So let's hope that the "selected routes" over which the A1SLT aspires to run Tornado at 90mph aren't just the ECML and the ECML! Next year marks 50 years since the end of Southern steam and although this is likely to mean Bulleids taking the limelight, if the only chance of a fast run at 90mph on the Salisbury or Bournemouth lines is behind an A1 rather than an MN, I for one won't be complaining.

 

Now that sounds like A Plan. A very interesting part of the plan is finding a new site for the Trust's activities which would have a turntable, I wonder if the existing turntable at Darlington would be utilised, could that be the new site?

cheers,

Alan