Tornado

Blood and Custard for me please. Or something like the infamous Pilkington set that would read when coupled together 'stuff you west coast!'

 

<fx: puts hand up in manner of enthusiastic eight year old schoolboy> Please Mr. Hosking Sir, can we have Bittern dressed up as Silver Link again, please, Sir?

 

The advantage of 'teak' vinyl - in my mind, anyway - would be that it'd match Tornado in its current 1948 livery, and the P2 (when completed). Plus it'd pay a sort of homage to steel-bodied Thompson stock being painted to look like teak.

That's a point - if they're fitting opening windows, why not make the bog windows oval whilst they're at it?

 

It barely makes a noise though anyway. They would be much better just playing a recording of a V2 down the PA system.

Tim

 

I'd love the trust to do a bit of "scumbling" on the coaches for a genuine LNER finish...

But that's a purely aesthetic thing.

I think the plans are ambitious and achievable. The choice of V4 and V3 together sound, as there's (albeit more limited) opportunity to share components (same driving wheel size, potentially share the front pony truck design, etc), the charter train absolutely necessary for high speed running behind Tornado.

Well done the Trust. Something to aim for, something achievable, something spectacular. Three Gresley designs reborn and a Peppercorn A1 at 90mph on the mainline. It simply could not get better for LNER fans in future.

So it is up to all of us who support them to continue to support them in the best possible way, whether monetarily or in our time.

 

Hear hear! I just hope though that the Trust is not getting overly ambitious, wonderful though all this is.

D'you think the V4 and V3 could be useful locos for all the Scottish excursions? It'd be their home territory

 

Lets hope for their sake that the demand for Tornado remains once Clan Line is back on Pullman duty (50% of 60163's tours this year!)...

 

D'you know, there's still a bit of me wishes someone would build a new 'Pom-Pom'...

 

Were there not Mk3 based DMUs in Ireland with opening windows?

 

Just a thought but would the V4 carry the name 'Bantam Hen'? I know this the unofficial name for 3402. I realise I'm getting way ahead of myself, just having a little daydream.

 

Fair play to them. I have a lot of respect for the A1 team. Always very professional and very open about what they are doing.
Nice to see someone trying to improve the current charter market which has mainly become a bit of a joke in the last couple of years. Hopefully they will get a lot of business once their new train is up and running.
I can see them working with UK Railtours a lot more than they do now. With the A1 Trust and Jeremy Hosking having their own stock to use in the future things could be a lot more interesting than they are at the moment.

 

I am intrigued to understand how the air con is going to operate efficiently with the windows open, plus to use this stock and all its modern gubbings are all steam engines going to need to be fitted with the capability to deliver a hefty ETS (unless we get an Ethel back?) or a genny car the sound of which may make the windows opening to hear Tornado work be a little superfluous - if they are going down this route why not go the whole hog and wait for some of the Mk4's to become available.

Take into account the cost of purchasing, converting and maintaining the fleet and when compared with the above, which will I suspect have serious financial implications for groups who wish to use the stock with their engines, I suspect this will remain a A1ST operation and merely avoid them having to pay the cost of stock hire for their tours, although with prices rising using Mk1's already will anyone bar the very rich even be able to afford it, I suspect WCRC will not be losing much sleep, despite the gleeful proclamations of many that this will signal their demise. In fact I suspect the market that would be most in danger of being affected by this is the more luxury end i.e. Royal Scotsman and Belmond trains - so possibly more like biting the hand that feeds you?

Good luck to them and will achieve the aim of grabbing some headlines but the proof will be in the pudding.

 

Rather depends on having someone with the capacity to operate it where it needs to be operated? The fact that Tornado seems to surprisingly get so little work outside the British Pullman work suggests that either a) her hire fees are putting people off b) that their sole ToC cannot resource her where the tour companies wish to run her of c) something else that makes the tour companies not want to use her. I am sure they have accounted for all this but once they have two locomotives to find work for its only going to get harder?

 

Picking up on some of the above comments. the Irish Belmond set comprises Mk3s with opening windows (a la Mk1) and the proposal mooted at the convention was that the coaches would have seating based around window tables like the original layout and that after an initial two had been fully re-fitted a rolling programme of fitting back-dated interiors would be applied to the rest of the rake (spare vehicles allowing this to continue with a full rake in traffic). There would be a Mk3 support coach (there's a design challenge!) and a generator car plus (possibly) two kitchen cars.

Whilst many will scoff at this proposal (mainly because they didn't think of it/are not paying for it) it seems to have great merit. The real benefit of air-con would be keeping the rake cool/warm whilst it is parked up during a run, ensuring a comfortable environment for passengers when they return from touring whatever destination they have visited.

"You have to pay to have a say!"

Foxy

 

Don't need an ETHEL, just a 67 on the back!!!

 

So what it is essentially is an up to date and higher speed version of the Belmond British Pullman, going to be very interesting to see it complete and in use.

 

When Tornado is under overhaul, will the P2 be able to pull this train at 90 MPH?

 

I don't think this rain will undermine the Belmond Pullman - its aimed at a different market altogether and a big part of the appeal of the Pullman is the coach interiors and ambiance as well as their distinctive appearance.

 

Never say never, but a combination of Pony Truck and smaller drivers suggest that wouldn't be a gimme, would have to go through the same kind of testing and analysis that Tornado will have to go through all over again - but at least the Trust will have the experience by then of whether it was actually worth it. P2 should be able to out accelerate Tornado in any case.
Train Liveries ? well Mk3's have a passing resemblance to the Silver Jubilee / Coronation Train perhaps an old Class 43 can be adapted to be the 'Generator -cum- beavertail' 'observation car.. The scrunbled teak and oval bog windows is also appealing, but I rather like ' Apple Green and Cream'
Haven't given a penny towards P2 and didn't intend to start until Tornado was paid off - well that's just about there and I cant help but be inspired by the ambition to give more.