Rumblestripe Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Apparently: NRM 14.50 Thirsk 15.39 Darlington Arr 16.46 Dep 17.01 Shildon 17.29 It's being done for the publicity of the newest steam loco towing the fastest. If it was at the dead of night, surely it would have been cheaper to hire a diesel...? Oh, thanks for that. I'll be back from the airport by then and it could be just the ticket to cheer me up after the England game. I may have to miss the last few minutes but I think they can do without me for a little while (they don't come and see me when I'm bad after all) Chuffer-therapy, it should be on the NHS! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I note from the local free paper that Tornado is due to haul (a presumably dead) Mallard from York to Shildon this week (Wed 23rd June to be precise) should be a good photo op for anyone in the area (sadly, I'm delivering me dotta to the airport that day). Perhaps someone has the timings, I don't? I believe it's supposed to be at Crewe on Thursday morning for a little jaunt over Shap! Are the timings available yet? Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 I believe it's supposed to be at Crewe on Thursday morning for a little jaunt over Shap! Are the timings available yet? Adrian Wednesday: http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t10/t0623p.htm Thursday: http://www.steamdreams.com/content/view/297/1/ No times on uksteam yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 21, 2010 Share Posted June 21, 2010 Thanks for that - my father-in-law lives in plain view of the WCML just north of Preston. I was going to give him the heads up so he can go out and watch it go past. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted June 22, 2010 Share Posted June 22, 2010 No times on uksteam yet. http://www.uksteam.info/tours/t10/t0624a.htm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumblestripe Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 Just popped along to Heighington Station to catch Tornado and Mallard "fly past". I was surprised to see a huge crowd at the station (remembering there had just been some sort of football match on)! Also a little surprised by the speed of the ensemble and hence only got a couple of halfway decent shots... Tornado approaches Heighington at speed And... gone! Ah well nice little outing:yahoo_mini: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkmouse Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 I quite like that last pic, gives a really nice feeling of speed. B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted June 23, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 23, 2010 Big day for Tornado tomorrow. A run up Shap. I can't imagine that the Tornado crew won't have some ideas about getting up to the top rather quickly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste234 Posted June 23, 2010 Share Posted June 23, 2010 I saw Tornado and Mallard between North Road and Heighington, Whessoe Road I think. Was brilliant to say the least! We then followed them to Shildon and saw them come in. Will upload some pics tomorrow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hat Posted June 24, 2010 Share Posted June 24, 2010 My pictures from the chase from York to Shildon can be seen here.... http://www.blackhatrailwaypics.fotopic.net/c1864516.html Hope they are of use.... especially if you model it as a re-run on your layout... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Hi all, Winwick Junction, yesterday morning at about 10.45(ish!). Snatched this with my new mini camera as big camera was videoing her! Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted June 25, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 25, 2010 Well, I have had a report back on the run out on Thursday, up Shap. The train was quite late back at Crewe. Apparently somebody cut off the water supply at one of the water stops. Then there were some pathing problems. Nothing down to the loco, which actually made up about 15 minutes of lost time. Still, there are some cracking videos on youtube. The only thing is that in nearly all the videos, there is no "clag", no sound of a loco being thrashed, lots of steam from the safety valves, yet Tornado is fairly belting along. As for the performance up Shap, the speed at the top was a little lower than some folk had hoped for. I have been told that it was 46mph with 13 well loaded carriages. It would have been more if the driver hadn't pushed a bit hard and got a wheel slip near the summit. Even with that slip, Tornado still took approximately 19 seconds less than the previous "record holder", (Duke of Gloucester) to reach the summit. What a machine! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Hat Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 No one noticed that Tornado has failed, and is now not attending a gala? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Even with that slip, Tornado still took approximately 19 seconds less than the previous "record holder", (Duke of Gloucester) to reach the summit. This is the class of work the P2 was built for. Same powerplant, slightly lower geared by virtue of 6'2" wheels, and crucially an extra pair of coupled wheels for better adhesion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WR Tim Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 No one noticed that Tornado has failed, and is now not attending a gala? The Bristol local paper is reporting that she had to be pulled from The Bristolian on Sat 26th with two defective stays and that she's being replaced on the Torbay Express on Sunday 4th July by 6024, on a trip to Carmarthen on Sat July 10th by something unidenitified and that the Torbay Express on Sun 11th and a visit to the West Somerset later that week are capped. Bristol Evening Post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shedmaster Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 The Bristol local paper is reporting that she had to be pulled from The Bristolian on Sat 26th with two defective stays and that she's being replaced on the Torbay Express on Sunday 4th July by 6024, on a trip to Carmarthen on Sat July 10th by something unidenitified and that the Torbay Express on Sun 11th and a visit to the West Somerset later that week are capped. Bristol Evening Post Hiya, Just like to say I've checked the website for the A1SLT this morning ( http://www.a1steam.com/ ) and there is a comprehensive statement on the situation if it is of interest ? Hope this is......useful. Thanks, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 As I said way back, chasing leaking / broken stays on a steam loco boiler can be like chasing rust on a mini - never ending. I wonder if they will regret going for welded stays now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.A.C Martin Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 As I said way back, chasing leaking / broken stays on a steam loco boiler can be like chasing rust on a mini - never ending. I wonder if they will regret going for welded stays now? Strange how these things happen like this - unsure of exact details but between t-b-g and another trustee above, she's got a lay-off of at least a month to sort the problems out. It is the stay problem rearing its head again - although the change from "fine" on one day, to "failed" another is nothing short of alarming. Found here. Tornado temporarily withdrawn Monday, 28 June 2010 11:56 Two suspected faulty stays in Tornado's boiler were identified during a routine inspection of the locomotive by fitters at Stewarts Lane depot on the morning of Saturday 26th June. These faults were not present when a similar inspection of Tornado was conducted on Friday 25th June during the locomotive's lay-over at Crewe Heritage Centre following her use on 'The Border Raider' excursion the day before. This new discovery follows the identification of five defective stays in late May/early June and the subsequent replacement of these five stays and seven neighbouring stays during repairs at Hither Green depot. The A1 Steam locomotive Trust has therefore taken the safe and prudent decision to temporarily withdraw Tornado from service to enable a comprehensive repair to be put in place. Since the earlier defects were discovered the Trust has been conducting a thorough investigation into the likely causes, which has yet to be completed. All of the Trust's customers have been advised of the situation and will be informed of Tornado's planned return to service date as soon as possible. Mark Allatt, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented: "This latest news is a blow to all of Tornado's supporters and customers and our customers' passengers. We are working as hard as we can to bring Tornado back to full health as soon as possible and back onto the main line where she belongs." Information on when Tornado will return to traffic will be posted on www.a1steam.com as soon as it becomes available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 Strange how these things happen like this - unsure of exact details but between t-b-g and another trustee above, she's got a lay-off of at least a month to sort the problems out. It is the stay problem rearing its head again - although the change from "fine" on one day, to "failed" another is nothing short of alarming. Found here. But stays can - and do - 'go' like that, failed stays are part of the everyday working life of the steam railway. But I do wonder about the way they are occurring at a relatively early stage in the loco's mileage (possibly not helped by the nature of a modern steam loco's existence)? And like Phil I also wonder if they might be having second thoughts about the decision to go for welded stays? In reality of course only time will tell how things are going to turn out as the loco puts on mileage and as experience with it develops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted July 10, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2010 From the A1 trust website: Although it is too early for firm conclusions to be reached about the causes of recent problems with Tornado's boiler, analysis to date suggests that the stay failures have occurred due to fatigue caused through usage. That's confused me - wastage? movement? That's a baby boiler in age terms, and despite their blurb about steaming cycles it should be too early for problems such as this to occur. I suspect that underneath they are quite worried. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Hi, The latest issue of the Railway Magazine reported that when they inspected the boiler, they found that the fusible plugs had been scorched, the same problem that caused 60163 to fail at the North Yorkshire Moors. They also say the it is linked to the low level of water during run from London - Edinburgh for 'Top Gear' It looks like a recurring problem, I wonder if it is? Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 10, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2010 You're not the only one confused by their comment Phil. I would have thought that 60 steaming cycles is considerably less than an original A1 in traffic would have chalked up in a couple of years. But what they are doing - regularly because of the nature of what the loco is doing - is letting the boiler get completely cold between infrequent steamings (just like many preserved locos...hmm). It looks as if they have a problem with breaking stays which they have still to get to the bottom of. I wonder how long they take when steam raising from cold? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hamblin Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 You're not the only one confused by their comment Phil. I would have thought that 60 steaming cycles is considerably less than an original A1 in traffic would have chalked up in a couple of years. But what they are doing - regularly because of the nature of what the loco is doing - is letting the boiler get completely cold between infrequent steamings (just like many preserved locos...hmm). Reading the statement on the A1SLT website it would appear that this is what they are most concerned about, specifically that reference to works attention between steaming cycles in the days when steam locomotives were prevalent on the main line. In those times I doubt whether an A1 would be allowed to go cold many times between boiler washouts. It is also true to say that the hollow stays must play a big part in all of this, as a failure on a traditional copper firebox design with solid stays should be more difficult to spot. So whilst it is a concern it doesn't seem to me as bad as first indicated. At a guess I would say that if this level of steaming cycles is to be maintained then stay replacement would have to be planned in to accommodate that. Preventative maintenance as per most modern items of rolling stock. Regards, Dan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.A.C Martin Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 Tornado update PDF Print E-mailFriday, 09 July 2010 09:00 Following the examination of Tornado’s boiler by officers of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and our boiler inspector we can confirm that repairs to the locomotive are now progressing to an agreed plan of work at Hither Green depot. Following detailed metallurgical analysis we are pleased to be able to confirm that there are no defects with the materials used in the manufacture of the boiler, nor is there any long-term issue around the management of the boiler. Trust records show that Tornado's boiler has been through over 60 steaming cycles and been in traffic for over 200 days. This is significantly beyond the usage of any steam locomotive of a comparable type in preservation, which is reinforced when the nature of the operations undertaken today is considered. This number of steaming cycles is beyond that which the original Peppercorn class A1s would have experienced in British Railways service before being sent to a locomotive works for overhaul, typically every two years. Although it is too early for firm conclusions to be reached about the causes of recent problems with Tornado's boiler, analysis to date suggests that the stay failures have occurred due to fatigue caused through usage. The boiler has received a thorough examination by our boiler inspector and has been declared to be in excellent condition, proving that it is working within its design parameters and is being well maintained. Mark Allatt, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented: "Although the recent problems with Tornado’s boiler are part of learning about the locomotive in today’s operational environment, they are a source of great disappointment to all of Tornado's supporters and customers and our customers' passengers. We will continue to investigate these matters and implement any results of that learning. We are working as hard as we can to bring Tornado back to full health as soon as possible and back onto the main line where she belongs." The Trust would like to place on record its thanks for all the assistance from our partners in effecting swift repairs and most particularly to Balfour Beatty Rail for making facilities available at Hither Green depot to the Trust at very short notice. Information on when Tornado will return to traffic will be posted on www.a1steam.com as soon as it becomes available, progress can be viewed here. A1 Trust Website Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.A.C Martin Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 That's confused me - wastage? movement? That's a baby boiler in age terms, and despite their blurb about steaming cycles it should be too early for problems such as this to occur. I suspect that underneath they are quite worried. We're all worried - trust and covenators alike. I suspect that those within the trust are keeping schtum for the moment if there is a more serious problem, but I can say for the record that we will all know in due course if the layoff is longer than has been expected. I take the Trust's point on the number of steamings and the intensity of her schedule, but I also take Phil's point that the boiler - only three years old, essentially, is showing these defects now, after a relatively short time in service. In the end all we can hope for is the best outcome for all - Tornado back in service, and soon as is possible without compromising her working condition further. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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