Tornado Railtours - 2019

Shed full of P2 may be an issue????

 

Well, work's been carried out in the open at the NVR as far as I can tell so shouldn't be an issue at Darlington - apart from winter approaching, of course.

 

I thought it had been happily chuntering up and down the NVR since the repair, have new issues come to light since then, or are there doubts about the repair/cause?

 

There's a detailed write-up of the current situation at https://www.a1steam.com/2018/10/29/october-repair-update/

 

Yes, but that doesn't explain why a trial run on the main line has been deferred.

 

Just received email from UK Railtours, despite frantic efforts to obtain a suitable loco (“Likely candidates are either already committed or too far away on this date.”) the Boarder Raider has had to be postponed with 13 April 2019 being the likely new date.

 

And the North Briton on the 16th February is cancelled!

 

At time of writing every single A1SLT tour for 2019, including all the Aberdonians, has been removed from the UKR website.

 

They are still on the website but listed separately. https://www.ukrailtours.com/product-category/rail-tours/tours-with-60163-tornado/

 

Would like to say we covenanters know why it was deferred but we are treated like the proverbial mushrooms and know no more about the engine than members of the general public. Wearing a bit thin now.

 

Update...

https://www.a1steam.com/2018/11/07/...hF39gjGq48IFJSkyLv30bICZmDs6KWXUHDary94Sy0VHI

 

Not having a good few days are you? Kept in the dark about the 'Polar Express' and now this! Money doesn't talk it seems!

 

Strange that the 9th February North Briton is running but the 16th February one is not.

 

According to a post on the A1SLT Facebook page it's due to DBC having problems resourcing it.

Dave B

 

Looking at the above post and then back at the A1SLT statement on 30 October:
"Following discussions with our operator DB Cargo, the trustees of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust have decided to withdraw No. 60163 Tornado from traffic for the remainder of 2018 in order to complete the repairs and recertification of the locomotive to DBC’s satisfaction."

I'm wondering if the loco owners and the train operating company are not as closely "in step" as they used to be.

 

North Briton, Aberdonian, and individual tours all updated onto uksteam 06/11.

 

The Trust is good at sending promotional emails and posting begging letters to their existing supporters, but the only information that I (also a covenanter) have seen about the ongoing repairs and re-certification has been here or on the Trust's website.

 

In the absence of information, speculation will thrive, so here's mine. I think Tornado has been sorted, no problems with the loco. It's operating at the NVR and there have been no recent signs of work being done on it. She's rarin' to go!

I think there is a problem between A1SLT and DBC that it would be unhelpful to make public at this stage. We covenantors can reasonably expect to be kept informed about matters concerning the loco, but commercially sensitive information is different, especially if negotiations are in progress. Let's give them a bit of slack to sort things out.

 

Don't agree with that. We Covenanters pay to keep Tornado operational on the mainline and on heritage railways. If there are issues of any sort we should know what they are and what the plans are to resolve them.