Tornado

And the NVR has gone all in by advertising the loco for the August Bank Holiday and taking bookings. Hope the AISLT's "assurances" bear fruit this time.

 

Trials on the Cambrian due first.

 

I was surprised they risked it a third time. It could happen but it relies on nothing going wrong with the loco in the meantime. The track record on that is not good

 

NVR is in a desperate position and has to cling on to hope.

 

But it costs them money every time they are let down

 

Given I booked the tour for ribblehead rambler on the 29th June back in March after they said the loco will be available in April. I don't have high hopes of it being finished for this tour

The other point is getting information out of the A1 Trust to see if it will run. I emailed them when it moved to GC and they said the following.

The ribblehead rambler is expected to run as planned. Tornado is so close to finish we have very high hopes.

 

It's all getting a bit "the cheque's in the post"...

 

Maye thats’s because of all the ‘good luck’ they had before he became chairman.? They are taking passengers, covenantors and other supporters for fools. No mention at all of the recent board exodus, including Graeme Bunker -James (nominally commercial director) and Huw Parker (overseeing the overhaul).

it’s time for the A1 Trust’s leadership to take responsibility and fall on their swords.

 

Well Tornado looks very good in Lbro shed!


But you can see how close the rear driver flange is to the foundation ring...


Another addition seems to be a pair of hydraulic pumps driven off the tender axle - one on each side.

 

Apparently lots of issues with the old boiler which was supposed to be swapped with the first of the new boilers during this overhaul.

I wouldn’t be surprised at additional stay work being required within a few months - subject of course to Tornado actually hauling trains.

Nothing being communicated by the Trust about the much delayed new boilers. The first is already almost 2 years late with the last comms saying delivery in spring 2024. Does the second one even exist beyond a few bent plates? Has the hypothecated P2 boiler club been raided to pay for Tornado’s overhaul? How much has the £50k (of a c£1m cost) overhaul club actually raised? How much does the A1 now owe the P2 (the reason why progress has ground to a halt) and how will this be repaid?

It’s time for the trustees to come clean with us long suffering covenantors.

 

Interesting pics Phil. I’m struggling to work out the detail in the second one - I can see the wheel and blowdown cock, but what’s the rusty plate please? Can you zoom out a bit please? TIA

 

Hi Sheff
I think the rusty bit is the base of the foundation ring. I took it quite close in so cannot zoom out but here is another picture which might help?

 

That'll be a speedo for the ETCS.

 

Thanks, that’s clearer. So the grey is the wheel flange, which appears to be rather close to the blowdown cock flange which is mounted on the front corner of the firebox.

 

I’m not an engineer but isn’t that an odd place to locate it ?

 

It needs to be at the low point of the boiler so it is going to be at the bottom of the throat plate. It’s a key operated valve so has to be accessible. That limits where it can be fitted

 

The one on Clan Line is located at right angles to the rear driving real, I suppose they couldn’t do that on Tornado because of the tight clearances

 

Here’s a pic of the fireman’s side back in 2013 ….. blowdown cock clearly visible
https://locoyard.com/2013/10/27/tor...utumn-gala-60163-tornado-in-the-pouring-rain/

 

That’s a modern key operated blowdown valve fitted to Tornado and is 180 deg. I‘ve no idea what’s fitted to Clan Line now but suspect it was originally a 90 deg valve which was pretty universal on loco boilers and I think was the case with the original A1's. However, these were generally boiler drain valves and not blowdown valves. What I'm a bit intrigued at is whether the valve is used as a boiler blowdown or simply a boiler drain. There is a difference and, if it is being used as the former, I wouldn't be a happy chappy opening it as you'd have very hot water at 200+psicoming out right next to you so is the connector used for attaching a pipe to take away the blowdown water. It may simply be for filling the boiler but but that's more usually done via an injector overflow.
I note from the photo referred to by Sheff that it has both been moved to the drivers side and the 90 deg bend has been replaced by a straight connector. I wonder why the change as I can't think of an obvious reason.