Tornado

I remember getting blisters on my fingers from using a mechanical calculating machine in the 1960s. Is that what you mean?

 

I now have visions of a whole new field of re-enactment! See the amazing historical engineers perform calculations of els/peck with quill pens on parchment!

 

Totally agree. Would also add that 20year daughter who actually studies Law, but is fairly practical demonstrated that the other day by extracting the engine and gearbox from the Austin 7, splitting the gearbox off, and removing the clutch in about 2 hours.
The engineers we employ use all the modern tools, but are quite capable of driving a manual lathe or a milling machine when necessary. And hand drawing stuff is essential skill, a prerequisite for being a decent CAD engineer. I suspect we are doing with 20 engineers what 200 would have struggled to do 30 years ago.

 

A Facit?

 

A Muldivo I think.

 

CAD & FEA have moved technology forwards, what was once near impossible is now possible, however, the skills to utilise these tools, to deliver advanced engineering are as hard to acquire and refine as the skills of old. Becoming a competent engineer in the modern era is no mean feat. And then there are regulations that must be complied with.

Are you saying practical skills? If so, lay your blame at the door of academic institutions who do not mandate hands on skills as part of the process of becoming a qualified engineer.

Spoken like someone who works in industry and has a good appreciation of the various things that make modern engineering difficult.

The bottom line here is that engineering is not easy, it was never easy, and it gets no more easy as time goes on, because standards go up, customer expectations constantly go up, safety goes up and the process of designing and making ever more complex things to ever more demanding requirements continues un-abated. Engineers routinely rise to that challenge and deliver products that are a marvel of human achievement. Cars, computers, jet engines, all manner of things, deliver performance today that was unthinkable 40 years ago. Its because of engineering that these advancements continue.

In the context of Tornado, safety and regulatory burden are clearly making the task of running the machine more difficult than it would have been many years ago, even dare I say it 30-40 years ago.

 

However much of Tornado's troubles over the last few years have been due to bad management and however much to bad luck, it is certainly very bad luck to be prevented from running by this hot dry weather so soon after main line operation finally resumed.

 

Announced as being in Darlington in September: Hopetown - Titans of Steam Gala

 

Time for a few tweaks and tickles. Yon Riley fella will be casting his eagle eye over it.
Then, when the rains come, it'll be 100% fit and travelling the length and breadth of the land. Happy days.

 

May I suggest that the individuals who ‘liked’ this disgusting post are as guilty as the originator?

 

Looks better in Apple Green

 

No it doesn't,
Brunswick/BR green is best.
I dream of Porterbrook Purple.

 

Nothing looks better in apple green, not even apples. It's also historically wrong for an A1 at the end of the production run, by which time they were being turned out in blue.

 

I’ve been away on holiday so missed this. Whilst it’s great to see her back where she belongs, nothing has changed as far as I’m concerned. Given infinite time and money then anyone can cobble a loco back together.

The trust have squandered both of these.

Sadly, after 20 years of supporting Tornado both financially and physically, I feel that the bond of trust and mutual respect that tied us all together has been shattered over the last few years, possibly irrevocably.

I’m still supporting the P2, but my hopes aren’t high that, even if it does reach completion, I’ll still be around to witness it. The boiler was due (yet again) back in April, according to Mr Davies.

Consequently I have chosen to redirect my funds to support another new build pacific project where, whilst lower in profile, the design and build is run by a team of professional engineers (unencumbered by egos), is based in a world class engineering facility and has links with a local advanced manufacturing R&D organisation.

 

Will he get a year's suspension like I did...?

 

I cannot add any more to that but echo your sentiments entirely. It's why my covenant towards 60163 has now gone to the GNRS and Quainton Road - other monies are now with the Baby Deltic Project and the Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society.

 

No they let em out early....to free up space.... tongue in cheek...