As part of the Trust’s preparation for Tornado’s steam test in early January the first phase of track laying at Darlington Locomotive Works has now been completed.
News
The project to build Tornado has had a high media profile since its launch in 1990 but never more so than following her first public move in steam on 1st August 2008.
Over the years articles have appeared in almost every UK national newspaper, many regional papers, national and local television and radio, and the specialist engineering and railway press. It’s not just the UK press that has covered the story. Tornado has appeared in the media in many overseas countries including Australia, China, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Russia and the USA.
Media contact
Media enquiries should be made to The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust office in Darlington, at or on +44 (0) 1325 460163.
Tender frames arrive in Darlington !!
Yesterday, Thursday 6th December marked another significant milestone in the progress towards completion – the tender frames arrived in Darlington from builder Ian Howitt Ltd.
Trust featured on BBC
On Monday 3rd the BBC’s “Working Lunch” programme ran a very good feature on the work of The Trust;
this can be viewed at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/7124643.stm
Tornado to be tested at Great Central
Tornado set to strike at the Great Central Railway!
Britain’s first new mainline steam engine to be built in 50 years will have a mainline home right from the moment it turns it’s first wheel!
In a major announcement, the Loughborough based heritage line and The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust have joined forces for a deal which will see No. 60163 Tornado heading to Loughborough for commissioning, high speed testing and passenger work.
“We’re thrilled to bits,” said Tony Sparks, chairman of the GCR, “We’ll be offering support to the A1 Trust who will be testing the engine on our double track at 60mph! The engine will stay with us for several months for trials and we’ll be the first place you can sample the performance of this newly built engine. This Tornado is a storm every railway enthusiast is looking forward to!”
Tornado is now a little over two years from completion. The last important component, the boiler, is being built in Germany. News that the tender has found a sponsor makes a steaming date of November 2007 possible provided that an additional £370,000 can be raised in the meantime.
Chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, Mark Allatt said, “Right from Tornado’s first steaming she’ll be a mainline engine! Announcing this tie-up with the Great Central is very exciting for us and hopefully will inspire our supporters to help us finance the last push to complete the loco. The GCR is known as a centre of engineering excellence and will be able to give us all the right technical support we need.
Some pictures and more information about GCR here.
Boiler ordered
LAST MAJOR HURDLE OVERCOME AS BOILER ORDERED FOR NEW STEAM LOCOMOTIVE
Future of mainline steam secure as boiler for No. 60163 Tornado to be completed in June 2006
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years, today announced that it had ordered the boiler for No. 60163 Tornado. The contract is with Dampflokwerk Meiningen (Steam Locomotive Works Meiningen), a workshop of the Deutsche Bahn (the German Federal Railway) , through its subsidiary DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH (DB Rolling Stock Maintenance Company), and follows on from an initial order for the redesign of the original LNER Diagram 118 boiler for the 21st century. This order comes as the culmination of over three years of exhaustive discussions with a number of possible suppliers in the UK and continental Europe as well as with the authorities on certification and quality matters. The boiler is due to be completed in June 2006.
The A1 Trust is building Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works and when complete it will be used on charter trains operating on Network Rail. Significant progress has been made on the construction of Tornado, with £1.3m raised to-date through deeds of covenant and commercial sponsorship and through a bond issue. In order that work can continue on other parts of Tornado whilst the boiler is being constructed, the Trust needs to raise the remaining £220k of its £500k bond issue.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust commented: “This announcement is tremendous news for Tornado and the future of mainline steam in Britain. The boiler is the single most expensive component of Tornado left to manufacture and this order marks the overcoming of the last major engineering hurdle in the construction programme and one for which our many supporters have been awaiting for some time. The first contract issued was to redesign the original Diagram 118 boiler to incorporate modern materials, welded construction and a steel rather than copper firebox. This is expected to be completed August 2005 with construction of the boiler commencing in October 2005.
“With the boiler ordered, it is now a matter of when, not if, Tornado will be completed – and the achievement of our November 2007 target is simply down to how much money we can raise. We are now looking to railway enthusiasts throughout the country to help us complete Tornado through taking part in our covenant scheme and/or our £500,000 bond issue, which is well over 50% subscribed. It’s time those who have been waiting for final proof that this project WILL succeed to help us to finish the job – there are no more excuses left!”
Herr Jürgen Eichhorn, Works Manager, Dampflokwerk Meiningen, commented: “After over three years of negotiation we are delighted and feel very honoured to have received the order for Tornado’s boiler from The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. We feel this might be a significant step into the British market which we consider to be most important for us in the future. We are all looking forward to a pleasant business relationship.”
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOILER AT WERK MEININGEN
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Tender sponsorship announced
TORNADO’S TENDER SPONSORED BY WILLIAM COOK CAST PRODUCTS LIMITED
Only another £385,000 needed to complete new steam locomotive by November 2007
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years, today announced that William Cook Cast Products Limited will provide a tender for use with A1 Pacific Tornado. The work on completing the £200,000 tender will proceed in parallel to that on the locomotive, such that the locomotive and tender will reach final completion at approximately the same time – November 2007, provided that the remaining funding is in place.
William Cook Cast Products has been the premier industrial supporter of the Trust for many years, covering areas such as locomotive wheels and many other castings used in the construction to-date.
Andrew Cook, Chairman of William Cook Holdings Limited commented: “I am delighted to continue supporting The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in its project to build a new mainline steam locomotive in the 21st Century. Tornado will not only keep mainline steam alive in Britain for generations to come but it will also be a great example of how persistence and determination – my motto – wins through in the end. I am looking forward to seeing Tornado in steam in 2007.”
Mark Allatt, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, added: “The Trust is delighted that William Cook Cast Products is extending its support to Tornado’s tender. They have been our most significant corporate supporter to-date and it is true to say that without their help we would not be able to complete Tornado for many years yet. We are now calling on all those interested in seeing Tornado in steam in 2007 to build upon that support and help us to bridge our £385,000 funding gap.”
The A1 Trust is building Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works and when complete it will be used on charter trains operating on Network Rail. Significant progress has been made on the construction of Tornado, with over £1.3m raised to-date through deeds of covenant, commercial sponsorship and through a bond issue. In order to complete Tornado as quickly as possible – by November 2007 – the Trust needs to raise £385,000 on top of its existing pledges.
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First Duchess from King’s Cross for 41 years
FIRST ‘DUCHESS’ FROM KING’S CROSS FOR 41 YEARS
Steam-hauled train takes more than 400 supporters to see new steam locomotive under construction (Pictures from the actual run at bottom of this page)
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years, is today running a special train, ‘The Talisman’, from London’s King’s Cross station to Darlington to see under-construction steam locomotive Tornado. The Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is being build by the Trust in its Darlington Locomotive Works and is due to be completed by November 2007, provided that a further £385,000 is raised towards its construction costs. To-date the Trust has raised and spent over £1.5m.
‘The Talisman’ is being hauled by LMS Princess Coronation class steam locomotive No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland and it is 41 years since a locomotive of this type hauled a train along the East Coast Mainline from London’s King’s Cross station. This class of locomotive worked the heaviest express passenger trains on the rival West Coast Mainline from the 1930s to the 1960s and No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland has twice hauled the Royal Train in recent years.
Mark Allatt, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, added: “The Trust is delighted to be running its first special train from King’s Cross today, carrying more than 400 supporters to see Tornado. Not only are we expecting a first-class day out but we are hopeful that the sight of our under-construction locomotive will encourage our supporters to help us finish Tornado by participating in our bond issue or sponsoring a component. We are now calling on all those interested in seeing Tornado in steam in 2007 to help us to bridge our £385,000 funding gap.”
The A1 Trust is building Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works and when complete it will be used on charter trains operating on Network Rail. Significant progress has been made on the construction of Tornado, with over £1.5m raised to-date through deeds of covenant, commercial sponsorship and through a bond issue. In order to complete Tornado as quickly as possible – by November 2007 – the Trust needs to raise £385,000 on top of its existing pledges.
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Bond reaches half-way point
£½ MILLION BOND ISSUE REACHES HALFWAY POINT
New steam locomotive on track to be in steam by end of 2007
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years at a cost of over £2m, today announced that its a £500,000, 4% unsecured bearer bond issue had now reached the half-way point. £250,000 has been received in commitments from supporters who want to see No. 60163 Tornado completed as soon as possible. The Trust is now in the process of securing the remaining institutional finance for the completion of Tornado, which will be ‘unlocked’ once the residual half of the bond issue has been taken up.
With the funding now almost in place, the Trust is confident of being able to place the order for the boiler as soon as the necessary redesign work is complete. This will mean that the Trust can achieve its goal of No. 60163 Tornado completed by the end of 2007 and running on the mainline in 2008.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust commented: “We are delighted that supporters of the Trust have already committed £¼m to our bond issue. We are now looking to railway enthusiasts throughout the country to help us complete Tornado through taking up the remaining £250,000 of our bond issue.
“We are confident that subject to the full take up of our £½m bond issue, the agreement of a facility with a financial institution and the continued steady growth in our number of covenanting supporters, Tornado can be in steam by the end of 2007. This would then see No. 60163 entering mainline service in 2008.
“Ten years after construction started, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is still the only organisation to have made significant progress towards building a brand new ‘modern’ steam locomotive following British Railway’s last one in 1960 and we have now raised and spent in excess of £1m on the project.”
Boiler supplier choosen
MAJOR STEP FORWARD AS BOILER SUPPLIER CHOSEN FOR NEW STEAM LOCOMOTIVE
Contract to redesign boiler of No. 60163 Tornado to meet 21st Century requirements agreed
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years, today announced that it has chosen Dampflokwerk Meiningen (Steam Locomotive Works Meiningen), a workshop of the Deutsche Bahn (the German Federal Railway) and through its subsidiary DB
Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH (DB Rolling Stock Maintenance Company), as the supplier for the boiler and associated equipment for the new locomotive. This decision comes as the culmination of almost three years of exhaustive discussions with a number of possible suppliers in the UK and continental Europe as well as with the authorities on certification and quality matters.
The A1 Trust is building Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works and when complete it will be used on charter trains operating on Network Rail. Significant progress has been made on the construction of Tornado, with over £1m raised to-date through deeds of covenant and commercial sponsorship.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust commented: “The boiler is the single most expensive component of Tornado left to manufacture and the decision to select DB Meiningen as our supplier marks a major step forward in the construction programme and one for which our many supporters have been awaiting for some
time. Whilst we are disappointed that no UK supplier could meet the requirements of our various certification authorities and ourselves, we are confident that DB Meiningen will deliver a first class boiler.
“We are now looking to railway enthusiasts throughout the country to help us complete Tornado through taking part in our covenant scheme and/or our £500,000 bond issue.”
Andrew Dow, Commercial Director of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, and a former head of the National Railway Museum, added that: “As a result of our discussions with many possible suppliers and the certification authorities
we are confident that DB Meiningen is the best choice for the Trust and we look forward to working with them in the coming months as the construction of the boiler progresses. The first contract issued will be to redesign the original LNER Diagram 118 boiler to incorporate modern materials, welded construction and a steel rather than copper firebox. This is expected to be completed early in the New Year, when, after design approval by the certification
authorities and subject to the funds being available, we will issue the contract to manufacture the boiler.
“Dampflokwerk Meiningen is one of the few locomotive works to have significant recent experience of boiler manufacture for main line locomotives. Recent work includes new boilers for a German class 42 2-10-0 owned by the Luxemburg Government and a new boiler for a Montreal-built 2-8-0 owned by Belgian National Railways. Many other boilers have been built in recent years, and several are new welded versions of old riveted designs. This
experience is precisely applicable to the Trust’s requirements.”
Herr Jürgen Eichhorn, Deputy Works Manager, Dampflokwerk Meiningen, commented: “After nearly three years of negotiation we are delighted and feel very honoured to have been selected as the supplier of the new boiler for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, in the year of our 90th anniversary. We feel this might be a significant step into the British market which we consider to be most important for us in the future. We are now expecting the initial order for the design work and we are all looking forward to a pleasant business relationship.”
Completion by 2007 possible
TORNADO TO BE COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS
Coal fired No. 60163 in steam by end of 2007 and on mainline in 2008?
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for over 40 years at a cost of over £2m, today announced that No. 60163 Tornado is to be completed by the end of 2007 and will be running on the mainline in 2008. The announcement follows a successful 11th Annual Convention attended by around 200 supporters at the Trust’s Darlington Locomotive Works on Saturday 9th October where No. 60163 Tornado is under construction.
Having just fitted the coupling rods to No. 60163 Tornado, the Trust rotated the six 6ft8in driving wheels together on the incomplete locomotive for the first time in public at the Convention. The Trust also unveiled several significant new components for Tornado including other valve gear and motion components ready for fitting to the locomotive.
The following key announcements were made at the Convention:
1. Following meetings with financial institutions the Trust’s strategy has been changed to reflect their requirement for supporting us
2. Having raised and spent over £1m on Tornado to-date, around £1m is now required to complete the locomotive
3. Provided that the Trust’s covenanted income grows steadily, there is a complete take up of the £500,000 bond issue and a facility can be agreed with a financial institution, Tornado can be steamed in 2007 and enter mainline service in 2008
4. The capital demands of oil firing combined with the demands of the financial institutions mean that Tornado will be initially coal fired but oil-ready; oil firing will be reconsidered at its first 10 year overhaul
5. The Trust is taking a stage-by-stage approach to 90mph mainline running
6. A separate business case has been put together for the second tender/water carrier and specifications are now being worked on.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust commented: “Following right on the heels of Tornado becoming a Pacific [Pacific refers to the 4-6-2 wheel arrangement under the Whyte Notation of steam locomotive wheel arrangements], we are now confident that subject to the full take up of our £½m bond issue, the agreement of a facility with a financial institution and the continued steady growth in our number of supporters, a coal fired Tornado can be in steam by the end of 2007. This would then see No. 60163 entering mainline service in 2008.
“Ten years after construction started, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is still the only organisation to have made significant progress towards building a brand new ‘modern’ steam locomotive following British Railway’s last one in 1960, rather than restoring or heavily rebuilding one into another class and we have now raised and spent in excess of £1m on the project.
“We are now looking to railway enthusiasts throughout the country to help us complete Tornado through taking part in our covenant scheme and/or our £500,000 bond issue.”