21st Century Steam Ltd Tours (Tornado Rail Tours)

Does anyone actually believe that’s the case? I suspect more sharp practice here and imminent cancellation. I wonder what excuse this time? Bullsh*t bingo anyone?

 

Especially 21stCS! I’m not risking booking with them again until they’ve successfully completed an operating season and the first train of the next season.

 

Well if you read the previous posts about this then no I don't because early in the week you could still book them and now you can't. But the point is if it is going to be cancelled then they should tell the passengers that are on it.

I'll be surprise if this isn't the case and they are truly fully booked.

 

Both could be true: it was fully booked but is (about to be) cancelled.

 

As expected
I write to you with a further update on Tornado’s return to the rails. The team have worked hard to have the engine ready in time for planned trains this summer, however it is now clear that Tornado will not be complete in time. The recommissioning of the locomotive systems after the significant works undertaken, including the world’s first fitment of ETCS, and the certification process has taken longer than forecast. We have also had to undertake further activities in support of Office of Rail and Road accreditation which were only identified very recently.

We are working to reschedule ‘The Ribblehead Rambler’ to Saturday 31st August, and ‘The Caledonian Express’ to the first week of September. We regrettably also need to cancel a number of Aberdonian trains leaving The Clyde Aberdonian on 7th September, and the Edinburgh starts on 12th and 14th September. This is made more complex by changes in the supply chain around coaching stock which we are now addressing.

As a charity, these postponements and cancellations come as a big blow as it further delays our return to the earnings on which we rely but, more than that, we are heartbroken to let down our keen supporters and passengers who have put their faith in us. We sometimes get asked why we advertise a train if there is a chance it won't run as planned. It takes around six months to establish and sell a train, and unfortunately a lot can change in that time. In the last few months alone, the overhaul has been impacted by the scarcity of skilled welders which has had a knock-on effect on the alreadybooked resources for final commissioning, testing and certification.

It is important that you, as Supporters, get access to Tornado in steam. We are planning to have a Supporters’ event whilst the locomotive is at the Great Central Railway (GCR), enabling those who wish to have a chance to ride behind the locomotive, and also the opportunity to speak to the team and understand more about the overhaul and ETCS fitments. The dates will be communicated to you as soon as possible, and we are in close discussion with the GCR team.

We built Tornado with the primary purpose of running on the main line for the delight of our passengers and supporters, such as yourselves, and we will return as soon as possible.

 

As a steward on two of the cancelled trains it leaves me out of pocket

 

Email just come through, all mainline work pushed back to September..
Plenty of excuses, let's just hope some lessons can be learnt.
Now plan to stay at Great Central for all commissioning and run a supporter's event.

 

As predicted earlier today - it’s a clown show!

 

Excuses but no one taking responsibility, no one being held accountable. How many times do they have to fail before they have the decency to resign? The position of the whole board is untenable.

 

The postponement must also be a blow for Vintage Trains who were expecting to derive some income from acting as the TOC, also providing the rolling stock and diesel loco.

 

Meanwhile as the locos (don’t) burn, the Emperor fiddles on X ….

https://x.com/steve220459/status/1801369392061595994?s=61&t=lpGBz3JGAUDYGaDLVd_RNQ



One wonders what the cost of this was, +/-, to the Trust, and what the benefits are claimed to be?

I’ve seen nothing from the Trust officially about this, has anyone else?

 

I think A1SLT covenantors have been extremely patient (especially with their donations) whilst the mismanagement, over promising, under delivering and taking us for fools has continued by the board. Do they never learn from their many, many mistakes? I suspect that there is much more going on behind the scenes here. Three recent Trustee 'resignations' - Bruce, Bunker-James and Parker - with only the first one even communicated to the covenantors... what's going on here? The board is now shadow of its former self with no professionals of note, no qualified/experienced accountant, lawyer, fundraiser, steam engineer, operator, communicator, etc. Who was going to operate The Aberdonians anyway? Not DBS, not LSL, not WCRC. Who was going to provide the stock? Not Riviera, not LSL, not WCRC, not SRPS. Sadly I suspect that the issues that they are forced to put into the public domain pale into insignificance when compared with the true state of this once great organisation. We should be told before it is too late.

 

Therein is yet another lacuna in the story. If VT are the TOC we might expect them to use their own coaches, but the announcement mentions "changes in the supply chain around coaching stock".

 

What do you hope the outcome of the resignation of the A1 Trust Board would be? If it is anything like the organisations that I am involved with, there has been an exodus of trustee/directors in recent years with nobody to replace them. It is becoming very difficult to find someone willing to entertain the significant legal responsibilities of director/trustee in a sector facing pretty extreme challenges in almost every direction.

 

I don't believe VT were ever in line to operate the Aberdonians, they were only contracted for operations South of the border (which they may well still do - trains are postponed, not cancelled). The issue surrounds the non-availability of SRPS stock for the Scottish operations, which is in the process of having CDL fitted and is unavailable until next year. It would appear this is as big an issue as the non availability of 60163..
To think not so long ago the A1 Trust was considering buying a rake of coaches..

 

Wasn’t their plan to refurb a rake of Mk3s?

 

Yes. Retrofitted with opening top lights and video screens showing live loco cam footage etc.