Tornado

Any sign of A1 generated steam being emitted in Loughborough?

 

Well, eight days ago the Trust said on their Facebook page that she would be leaving Loughborough works in a matter of days. Nothing since to say the move has happened and admin have prevented people commenting on that post. She is due at the NVR in 3 weeks time and still needs running in and ECTS testing. I wonder if the testing will be postponed till after the NVR visit. It can't be helping the Trusts reputation this cutting things fine approach and as a Covenanter myself I would like to know what is causing this further delay to her return to steam.

Dave B

 

Good luck with that Dave. 8 weeks away and AFAIK the loco is still cold at LMS?

 

Looks like being a repetition of pre overhaul times Iain, when trips kept being rescheduled or postponed, They've already changed the dates of the NVR visit once, it looking ominously like they might be changing it again. Seems like the trust have fallen in to the lets promise our loco to a heritage railway before it's ready camp.

Dave B

 

ECTS testing transferred to another.

 

If the good folk at the NVR have to email people to say so it’s not happening for a second time, I’d just tell them to do one. It’s not fair to their volunteers.

 

Well Tornado doesn't seem to have appeared at the GCR yet. Not in the loco-shed or anywhere else, sadly.

 

I'm wondering if the installation of the new system has brought to light more problems, either that, or the boiler issues are proving to be a bigger problem that the trust have admitted to, because the last few photos showed the engine virtually complete except for the lack of cladding and insulation even with turned down tyres, it looked very close between the firebox corners and the wheels.

 

Has there been anymore news about Tornado last I heard its tender was moved to Loughborough GCR this week.

 

GM video on YouTube last night said it was still coming, but didn't know when.

 

I thought that was a rather ‘interesting’ comment shall we say?

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/F7b2qxZha2F7sT4h/

NVR visit postponed again.

"Tornado visit to the Nene Valley Railway

We have been informed by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust that Tornado will not be able to attend the events in May on the Nene Valley Railway. The NVR is working hard to find a suitable locomotive to replace Tornado at our event in May.

The NVR and the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust are working together to see 60163 Tornado visit the NVR for Driving Experience Courses provisionally on 20th, 21st and 22nd August and passenger running on 24th, 25th and 26th of August. If you have booked tickets to Ride behind Tornado or Drive Tornado, please email with your booking reference to adminassistant@nvr.org.uk to discuss options available for the planned August visit."

"Information from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Over the last month the situation has been fluid, as happens with many projects as they
reach their conclusion. There have been many variations to the plan, making updates
before this time difficult as they would have risked being out of date as they were sent.
Suffice to say we have faced unanticipated challenges in the area of coded welding, a
matter that has affected a number of heritage railway projects as well as our own.
On reassembly of the boiler and its fittings, we needed to undertake some work to the
gauge frame pads. Due to the paperwork required and the level of welding necessary,
this was not the straightforward task we had anticipated as our regular welder was no
longer available to us. It proved exceedingly difficult to source a qualified coded welder
for the task, as within the small pool who could undertake the work, personal
circumstances delayed progress and the plan to complete this work changed
numerous times. We lost time in this delay, but parallel work has been continuing as far
as possible.
Once the gauge frames were secured, it was appropriate to undertake a hydraulic test
to reset the seven-year ticket. This took place last Wednesday 1st May. The boiler
passed the hydraulic test, however one stay on the righthand side was weeping,
suggesting a very small crack. The boiler has had several hydraulic and steam tests,
and this had not presented previously. The stay was removed and, as is necessary, the
team then inspected the surrounding stays (as they can suffer damage compensating
for the adjacent cracked stay). A reasonable number were found to need replacing. This
raised concerns for the left-hand side of the boiler, and we subsequently found a
smaller number that required replacing on that side.
We have again suffered from the availability of skilled welders to carry out this work. It
was hoped that this could have been completed last week, but it is now planned to be
completed on Monday 13th May.
In parallel, work on the backhead and cab is progressing, and the cab and engine will be
reunited next week following the welding. Final pipework will then be attached. It is our
intention for the engine to the leave Locomotive Maintenance Services (LMS) the week
of 20th May, and static testing will commence thereafter.
Unfortunately, this additional work has pushed back the date that the locomotive will
be ready for running with passengers and as such we are terribly disappointed to cancel
our visit to the Nene Valley Railway. Our sincere apologies go out to all those who have
made arrangements to see the A1over the bank holiday weekend. We have tried every
scenario to honour this commitment but in the end it has simply not been possible."

 

Quelle surprise. And just when the NVR needs the extra footfall too.

 

Thanks 5944... Lets be appreciative of some clarity, at long last.

 

They have my sympathy...there is a world shortage of welders. There are only several hundred coded welders in the the UK at the moment...

 

Extract from email of 10 August 2023:

Today, we draw a line to reset, however this does not mean that No. 60163 will not be in steam for the rest of the year. On the contrary, we are putting maximum effort into returning Tornado to the rails in short order. The boiler is due to be painted next week, and the frames set to receive the wheels next week too, then the two will be reunited ready for test runs at the end of September and into October. We remain optimistic that Tornado will be running on heritage lines before the year is out, and is available for third party hire through the late Autumn and Winter.

Our Railtours team is also looking toward brighter days, and are already compiling a busy programme of trains to make up for lost earnings and allow more people to see and travel with the newly refurbished Tornado.

We thank all of our supporters for their continued patience and generosity through this prolonged period away from the rails. The whole team is 100% focused on delivering our much-loved locomotive back in top condition in the coming weeks.​

Who is taking responsibility for this debacle? More over promising and underdelivering combined with poor communications to long suffering covenantors, passengers and heritage railway customers. And not for the first time. To quote Oscar Wilde, "to lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."

 

I’d say this was ‘unbelievable’ but of course it’s not given all the false dawns over the last nigh-on two years. Heads should roll, but doubt some are even hanging in shame.

 

I think I know where I'd start...

 

NVR must be feeling gutted at the moment.