Tornado

More than you think, depending on the engine, its condition and who's doing the work.

 

Wikipedia is our friend, yes it is a B17, for the pedantic..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_B17

 

Stands back in amazement at theway the A1 fellas have and are handling this whole incident. From the minute it happened they have been top class. No room for speculation here, facts and photos for all to see.

 

I have to agree. It has been very interesting to see how the focus of the speculation on NP has evolved with every piece of official information that has been forthcoming. Wild speculation very quickly became informed speculation. I think the worst was something along the lines of the design of A1's made them unfit to be run at speed but now people seem to have their sensible hats back on!

 

It won’t catch on

Tom

 

A lot of locomotive overhauls should come in at under £ 1/2 million - thing is, you tend only to hear the cost of the ones that don't!

Steven

 

That £ 1/2 million was cash in bank a year ago and they appear to be taking at least the same amount each year in donations, covenants and gift aid. On top of that there are merchandising and hire fee which are what many loco owners rely on to cover costs. Now I am not knocking the A1 trust, it just shows what a well oiled slick operation they are. They are not a hand to mouth operation and that shows in everything they do.

I contrast the AI fundraising to that of say 82045 which appear to has a fair amount of support on here but get about a quarter of the amount that the A1 trust get a year in donations etc. Now I find even that amount of fundraising seriously impressive but just think what they or any organisation could do with half a million plus a year in donations. As I said not a dig at the A1 Trust, just putting into perspective what a hell of a job they have done fundraising.

 

I really think its only prudent that they work as hard as they do to bring in as much money as humanly possible. I would not deny them a penny of what they have raised because these machines are seriously seriously expensive.

We need only think back to another green pacific that was run imprudently for verification that when it comes to these engines, its nigh on impossible to be too careful financially.

 

I think the main reason people are willing to donate is that they know it is going to a well run organisation and their money will be used wisely to keep Tornado doing what it does best - well run pure steam tours on the main line.

 

Form what I can understand they have tapped into a whole new source of funds, what I would call the ex trainspotters who still have a passing interest in their old hobby and they seem to have found those with a lot of money. These sort of people would not be motivated by starry-eyed enthusiasts trying to restore a Barry wreck. The presentations they give are professional and the business plan is sound, makes all the difference.

 

Lets not forget that Tornado didn't happen overnight and the snowball did need a lot of pushing. What would interest me is how many Tornado supporters realise that there are other new build projects, other than 2007, out there. Even if they do at face value none of them are remotely as 'Sexy' as a P2

 

The question for many of those supporters would be: "what is their track record?" The A1SLT has completed and successfully run a steam locomotive from scratch. It was a decisive factor in my financial contributions towards the P2 project, never mind the fact it's a loco I have long had a fascination with.

For every successful project, there are too many that get no further than a Faecebook page, or maybe some bits in a container. Would you risk chucking a thousand quid at them? Some of the new build projects have lead times such that their donors/proponents would never see them before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

 

The A1 SLT are 100 per cent professional in how they operate and in the way they relate to the public at large, they have not shirked to tell it how it is, no wild guesses on this one, they have told you exactly what they know, and don't know, and their ability to fund raise is unmatched, again down in part because you know your money is being spent wisely, no highly paid advisors here, unlike a certain cold war bomber that seems to eat up money when its just standing on the tarmac,
The A1 Trust has a proven record also its no mistake that the p2 is coming on as it is, because supporters trust the organisation will deliver .

 

The best speech I have read for a long time!

Knut

 

yes

 

In the first hours and days after the failure news came thick and fast. But it's been quiet for quite a while now.

 

Possibly because there is nothing to report until further reports are recieved?

 

Well, the pieces of metal have been forged, now they need machining. I'm sure that once they've been machined they'll be going to LNER Hospital (aka the Nene Valley) for fitting and then there'll be updates.

 

Before that Charter in June, there is the small matter of a week of running at the Bluebell at the end of May. Thus far, I have seen absolutely no indication of anything other than that that visit will still be going ahead. Given that hitherto the A1 Trust have been very open and honest in their communications, that suggests to me that they are still confident about being able to meet that commitment.

Tom