Tornado

With the P2 do you think that the chime whistle that is currently on Tornado be fitted ton 2007 or a new one made

 

Reading SR Mag over the weeken. I see the A1 Trust have taken a full page advert to promote 60163 Tornado being painted in to BR Green and to also promote her first rail tour in BR green.

 

Wondering whether in the interests of Brand Protection the A1SLT Might consider Painting 4472/ 60103 into BR Brunswick to run as such as long as Tornado does ?. Will todays younger generation not be looking at Flying Scotsman and saying 'Look its Tornado' (and vice -versa) if this is the case...

 

The Race to the North race from Top Gear is in the Top Gear 2011 Calander. Whats better for me is that Tornado and the race is September which is the month of my Birthday

 

Reading in SR Mag (Main Line) 60163 will run in Brunswick green with the early and late emblems being used on her tender next year. The first half of the year with the early emblem and the second half of the year using the later style emblem. She will also running with the later fluted style chimney. To also add to this she will be operated by WCRC which are going to use a complete rake of maroon MK1s for her debut main line rail tour in Brunswick green (White Rose) 26th Feb. Anyone that’s going to photograph her will be like a dog with two tails. Photographers will be able to grab a few classic 50s/60s looking photos on her rail tour in February.

 

Little bit of fun from the A1ST http://www.a1steam.com/index.php?op...runswick-green&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=123

 

That's crackin'! Oh to see her like that with a rake of teaks behind her

 

Is it just me or does that look better than apple green with BR lettering?

 

Bit early for an April Fools. When I saw it I thought it was photoshopped. Still looks great.

 

It does look good, doesn't it? Good for those involved

I see that Hornby are now releasing 'Tornado' in both their 'Railroad' version & their normal range. It'll be interesting to see how they sell compared to the existing Bachmann model, although I can see the sense in the cheaper version for our 'young controllers'

 

Unfortunately Tornado's winter maintenance has been extended until the end of April due to more extensive work required than originally planned.

http://www.a1steam.com/index.php?op...tenance-update&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=123

 

When Tornado's boiler was originally delivered several of our most competent Boiler Inspectors raised doubts about the long term viability of several of the firebox design & construction features, principally the design of the stays and foundation ring and the quality of the workmanship.

It looks, with all of last summers boiler work required and now these problems, that these concerns were well founded. For a boiler this new to need this much work after just two years in service does not bode well. I wish the A1 trust all the best for the repairs!

 

Well that's answered my question of why she has been removed from a few trips up to May. A bit worrying for the A1 steam trust if the boiler keeps throwing up problems this often.

 

Sorry to ask how many other locos have this design of boiler construction in the world and do they suffer from the same faults.

 

Is this information in the public domain ? If so, could you please provide a link?

 

Some on here are quick to condemn Tornado's boiler once again but the following quote from the A1 website makes interesting reading.
"Whilst disappointing, all of these issues are known problems, some with fireboxes on the original Peppercorn class A1s and others on the Bulleid Pacifics, which also had all-steel, welded fireboxes as on Tornado. Only a very small number of weeping stays were identified out of the more that 2,500 in the firebox and therefore the overwhelming majority of the firebox stay replacements are precautionary to prevent further unplanned work during periods in traffic."

 

I'd dearly like to know who our 'most competent boiler inspectors' are and what doubts they raised?

As a matter of interest, does anyone on here know how many miles 60163 has racked up?

 

Although not connected with the Steam Industry we do have pressure vessels at work that require insurance inspection and certification by authorised bodies. I always like to have a chat with these guys when they come, they always have something interesting to say and with the news from the A1 trust it would appear that the concerns of these inspectors about the boiler were correct. The concerns appear to bit of an open secret in the industry. It will be interesting to see how repairs are approached and hopefully they can rectify the problems without to much cost. 60163 has done so much to raise the profile of main line steam and the movement as a whole we need her back in tip top condition.

 

Having problems sleeping, but being an engineer, I,m sorry to put my oar in. Is,nt there some form of modal analysis that could be done to predict possible failures?

 

Likewise having a touch of insomnia but not being an engineer it does strike me that the expectation that Tornado must break its own records, together with those set by other locomotives, on every journey out it makes cannot be to its long term advantage. The gricer press should put a sock in it!

Concerns about the design and construction of the boiler may be justified or they may be merely a combination of xenophobia and "I don't hold with these new fangled ideas".