Tornado

Excrement happens and a lot has gone wrong since the Ebor Flyer incident, don't mention the support coach! What is unforgiveable is to keep the supporters in the dark, or worse treating them like idiots. Anyone with a passing knowledge of steam would know that the driving wheels would have been returned with the tyres turned to spec, the phrase used by the trust; 'The locomotive has had new tyres fitted during this overhaul, and they are at maximum size. With Tornado’s boiler now fitted, we better understand the clearances needed and can turn the tyres to our exact requirement to minimise wastage. To ensure safe and reliable operation, the tyres will be turned to size.' is obviously a just a collection of old testicles. Why not come out and say exactly what has happened and the cause of it? They would have retained a lot more credibility if they had.

 

Looking over posts from recent weeks it is quite clear that something has gone seriously wrong with the Trust. I have always admired what they have achieved with Tornado and I have been impressed with the progress building the P2 and also with establishing a base for the future.
However, I do wonder if the pressure of spinning so many plates has caused problems at the top. The latest prolonged overhaul of Tornado has been plagued with problems. Reports on here from supporters of getting very little information, if any about what is going on don't give off a very good impression to possible future supporters.
The latest news about the tyres I find a little bizarre.

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Is the 'maximum size' more than the 6' - 8" as originally specified?

 

I suppose because no one does these days. It seems to be an idée fixe in the PR world that everything has to be spun, and the unvarnished truth is something rare and precious to be kept safely away from untrusted hands. I've found myself doing it in my working life too. In the past I've struggled to communicate bare facts about a problem without putting in a slant or being a bit economical with the old actualité. As soon as there was any kind of third party in the communication loop then it became nearly impossible.

Everyone does it. I vaguely recall some US political scandal, was it Watergate, delivering something on the lines of 'no-one decided on a cover up. It's just that no-one suggested there shouldn't be a cover up'. And I bet it's the same sort of thing, no-one in the Tornado executive decides to put spin in the press statements, it's just that it doesn't occur to anyone not to.

 

It’s a perfect example of the Johnson/Trump post-truth world we find ourselves in.

In my career I always found that owning up to a mistake, not trying to palm the blame off and agreeing a plan to rectify it asap, at no cost to the client, was always the best course of action.

This built trust and resulted in repeat contracts. The A1 approach achieves the polar opposite for me.


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My wish is for Mark Allatt to make some sort of comeback.

Myself and Brother ditched the A1 trust about 10 years ago, after it became obvious their chasing of cash down south, made our possibilities to ride behind her negligable.

Since then we have had 2 exceptional days out to Edinburgh behind her.

Move forward that period, and the other loco we supported, is now based at Crewe, and as yet shown no sign of starting something in NE England.

That being the case with Tornado, et al, being based in Darlington, at least i can see them (hopefully), every other week, when the works is open.....

 

I am pleased to read that I am not the only person who does this. People these days seem amazed if someone apologises for doing something wrong and offering to put it right: okay, there are people graceless enough not to accept it when offered but I was brought up to "say sorry" and not to need to be forced into it.

 

Depends where you are in the "food chain".
I always found marketing blamed engineering and procurement, and engineering blamed procurement. We in procurement only had the supplier to blame, but as we were responsible for them, still our fault. I also found that like water blame does not flow uphill.

 

After 25 years with a large multinational I went out on my own for 10 years, which made it even more important to operate ethically. Your reputation is never better than your last foul up. Bad news travels fast. Based on the last few years the Trust would never work again in my sphere of high risk chemicals.


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No, not really: it's called 'owning your mistakes'. If I've made a mistake, I don't try and say "a big boy did it and ran away" to deflect. We've had a government which has done that for the last five or more years and look where that has got us.

 

On a modellers drawing of A1 from 1949 it is stated that width over cylinders is 8 feet 9.75 inch.
Is that the case for Tornado today and does that restrict it to former GWR/LNER territory?
Playing best british CME.
Just like A1 Trust.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they've shaved it a tad as I don't believe it is restricted. Gauging is a spectacularly complicated subject, but the basic W3 static freight gauge is a hair over 8'10.2 in at cylinder height. To gauge the locomotive properly mean allowing for throwover etc, and very much requires expertise I lack. AIUI these days gauging is done on a structure by structure basis so given an encroaching structure on a line she would be allowed down the line to a spot short of it but not beyond.Possibly into some platforms but not others too.

 

Unless the latest overhaul and new tyres have resulted in it becoming wider or taller, it is a reasonably gauge-friendly loco. See the picture below, taken at Chelsfield on 6th October 2012 - a Steam Dreams working to Canterbury. If a loco can run in Kent without bashing platform edges, etc, it can run over most lines

 

In the same vein...making a mistake then someone in authority dressing you down in public. I've seen that backfire on some management and the transgressor telling them "where to stick your job". A quiet word out of view is all that's needed

 

In my area of project management, I always make a point of saying to a new contractor that if something goes wrong, please just tell me and we can work through it. Far best to be open and get it sorted out than for it be covered up, because we inevitably find out and then it is usually a far bigger problem.
Transparency, honesty, integrity and a culture of open communication are never more important in my view - not just in business (where it helps build trust) but in society in general. I agree though it seems to be increasingly rare in politics and I fear this gives a license for those in authority to avoid straight answers, deflect and increasingly out and out lie.
(Note: this is a general point, not related to A1SLT, who I feel are probably guilty of incompetence, not anything malicious).

 

I agree. It’s increasingly difficult to achieve because the reaction to bad news is so often alarm and panic, which can threaten a project or organisation more than the actual problem.


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Have any covenantors had their email copy of the latest TCC news letter?

Apparently the postal copies were received last week?


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Yes...was in my inbox this morning.

 

Thanks. Mine arrived shortly after I posted this.

It’s been the way for sometime now, annoying when you try and save them some money on printing and postage but get a slower service.


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