'Tornado' saves the day!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8428097.stm

 

Ha Ha fantastic.

 

This is superb cudos for" Tornado", and mainline steam in general. Well done to the A1 people, or at least "well done" to the company running the actual train...( Did the same thing happen with "Tangmere" the day before?)

Out of interest, where is Tornado based for winter maintenance, the NRM York ?

 

Their publicity machine will milk that for all its worth and more - so they SHOULD ! *applause*

 

Brilliant and good PR for the A1 trust.

 

Arrived at NRM last night I believe, viewable in The Works from 4th January after it's been cleaned, ash dropped etc and the support crew/engineers etc allowed to have Christmas too.

 

Brilliant! Was this on the local TV news?

 

Well done to all concerned!
Just shows what a little cooperation can achieve.

 

Tangmere dropped a few off in Hastings yesterday

 

More power to steam's elbow! A very nice Christmas present for the A1 Team!

 

Although I didn't see it myself, I understand that the story was featured on BBC Newcastle news at lunchtime but not in the evening (when the bullietin is effectively free publicity for the commerical interest that own local fioitball clubs).

Steven

 

Fantastic news! Brilliant!

 

Now if the Rev Awdry were still around I could imagine his pen would start to twitch a little. Steam loco's to the rescue in the 21st Century would have been right up his street. ;-)

 

Mark Allatt was interviewed by John Humphries on the Radio 4 Today program this morning.

From the Today website at 7.24:

 

i wonder ,how long before one of the questions asked at suitability assesment s for drivers at the toc's are "Do you know how to drive and fire a steam engine"

 

Front page story with picture on The Northern Echo today!

Steven

 

Tornado gets a small mention in The Sun today.

 

...and the story was featured on BBC 'Breakfast' yesterday. <BJ>

 

iam in favour of any soultion if it gives us a better train service.

 

This sort of thing does actually have a down side. It is probably fair to say that not every TOC is totally in favour of the operation of steam loco's on Network Rail, you only have to remember Alison Forster's comments some years ago, although happily FGW seem to have changed their stance since her departure. Turning the attention of the national press onto the perceived shortcomings of the full time TOC's modern rolling stock may be good for various ego's, but it probably doesn't do a lot of good for improving the perception of the steam movement at TOC's faced with trying to move lots of people around the South east every day. The shame is that the press won't understand or even care a jot that steam could never actually replace the current traction on any level, be it performance, cost, manpower or first cost, not forgetting the fact that we no longer have any meaningful industry to actually support such nonsense. all they are interested in is taking a pop at the full time boys at every opportunity, and the A1 Trust have fallen for it hook line and sinker in their haste to score points again.

What very few people know is that I am told that outfits like West Coast and Vintage Trains have been helping out their local TOC's for ages, it's just that they appear to have the common sense to keep quiet and just get on with being good neighbours, and there is little doubt that the TOC's do really appreciate that sort of approach, you only have to see that Chiltern are getting them to run steam trains to appreciate that. It also has the added advantage of denying the national press another opportunity to have a cheap shot at the full time rail industry.

Finally given the numbers of passengers that were alleged to have been picked up, was the steam train running almost empty or did they end up with lots of people standing? If so, what happened to the Network Rail rule that every charter train passenger has to have a seat? And is that rule incorporated in DBS's safety case for running steam? It would seem inconceivable that those in charge of this train would stick their necks out this far for a bit more publicity, but you never know.