Ebor Flyer - A1ST and Tornado: 14/04/18

New trip appeared on the UKRT website and it's really something quite special indeed. The Ebor Flyer on 14th April. Here's the blurb - "This will be the first public train when Tornado will be authorised to operate at speeds up to 90mph on the East Coast Main Line."

A 90mph run up the ECML from King's Cross to York. I suspect this will sell out quite quickly!

 

Also dovetails rather nicely with The Mayflower. £119. Might require a raid on the savings, as this will sell rather quickly...

 

Already booked on.

 

Thanks for spotting that one, just booked

 

Tickets booked.
Thanks for the heads up.

 

I've booked too. A1SLT are being very slick with marketing their tours for 2018. I'm booked on two already, so they are picking up a fair slice of my 2018 budget. I've heard that they will be selling seats on the first P2 mainline trip soon.

 

Got it booked.

 

Also booked - particularly since its my birthday! If this works it is going to be special.

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Will be booking, probably on Sunday.

 

Booked and thanks for the heads up - now for Clan Line 90 mph to Salisbury............

 

Interesting that just the two classes (food and standard) is being offered. Wonder what the coach split will be like?

 

Mrs W has given me a Weekend Pass - booked!

 

I'm booked too. Living in East Sussex, it does mean getting up at silly o'clock, but I don't want to miss this train as I think it will be quite an occasion. Shame I'll be on my own, but it's too long a day for my dear wife. Never mind; there will be plenty to do in York, I'm sure.

I'm pretty confident, knowing how professional the A1SLT is, that the tour wouldn't have been announced without a lot of preliminary work before hand to ensure that it will work -and be special!I'm sure you will have a great birthday treat.

By the way if anyone is interested, I asked them about for further 90mph running with Tornado and it seems that as far as 2018 is concerned, these trains will be concentrated possibly exclusively on the ECML. Much as I'd like to sample Tornado at 90mph a bit nearer home, the A1SLT's approach does make sense as it's somewhat ground-breaking stuff.

So far, no other tour organiser has advertised any steam-hauled trains up the ECML (apart from day 1 of RTC's GBXI) in 2018 and it will be interesting to see what impact the announcement of this first public 90mph run with Tornado will have. If you can get to York in four hours from London with no diesel on the back and enjoy the thrill of the higher speed, a 6-7 hour journey with more pathing and water stops, 75mph maximum and the possibility of shovage from the rear isn't going to be very appealing in comparison.

 

I'm still havering whether to book this. It won't be the first 90 mph run with steam since 1968. It won't even be the first officially sanctioned public 90 mph run with steam since 1968. Nor, deo volente, will it be the only public 90 mph run by Tornado. On the other hand the atmosphere on board is likely to resemble that on Bittern's runs in 2013 and Tornado's in April this year.

 

Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

 

I've managed to dig out the 90mph-authorised sections from Bittern's schedule in 2013, although if I remember rightly, the final run from York to KX didn't take place. They were as follows (with thanks to James@Steamvideosnet):-

Northbound: Hitchin to Offord, Great Ponton to Crow Park, Arksey to Colton Jc... 66miles approx.
Southbound: Colton Jc to Arksey, Askham to Newark Crossing, Stoke Summit to Peterborough (note a 75mph restriction at Little Bytham viaduct 92m 58ch, with a 10mph restriction over a bridge south of Peterborough), and Abbots Ripton to Arlesey... 83 miles approx.

It will be interesting to see how this compares with what we will get in April. Tornado may be allowed to reach 90mph where Bittern couldn't because of its slightly narrower envelope. Bittern did these runs with the valences over the driving wheels, which means that both its height and width could have been greater than Tornado's. Anyway, we'll have to see. I very much suspect that a lot of research and planning has already gone into organising this train to ensure that we get a decent crack at 90mph at some point in both directions.

 

Yes it did, on 7th December.

 

It's a different scenario. Bittern only had a limited ticket for the 3 90 mph runs, not a full 90 mph ticket. Way too early to be speculating. Getting boring already. How about putting it to bed until the New Year??? (Ducks for cover)

 

It seems another member of 'The Border Raider's Coach H is on board this, as I'm now booked on. As mentioned, it should be a good weekend for those who are also on 'The Mayflower'.