Get (a tender) behind <em>Tornado</em>

30 Sep 2013 Monday

Get (a tender) behind Tornado

GET (A TENDER) BEHIND TORNADO Join the 163 Pacifics Club and make Tornado debt free. Since Tornado's first moves in 2008 all of us have worked hard to repay the debt incurred during the locomotive's construction as well as funding the overhaul and conversion of support coach E21249. The first debts to be repaid by the Trust were the bridging and personal loans that financed the final dash to completion. In July 2013 we were able to announce the early repayment of the £500,000 Bearer Bond at the end of the 2013. The final step to make Tornado debt-free is to purchase 60163's tender, which is currently on a 15 year lease from William Cook Cast Products Ltd. Back in 2006 Andrew Cook, chairman of William Cook and our Principle Sponsor, generously offered to pay for the construction of Tornado's eight-wheeled tender to enable the funds being raised to be spent on other parts of the locomotive. We now need to raise £200,000 to purchase the tender from WCCP when the lease expires in 2021. Tornado's tender is a development of those built for the original Peppercorn class A1s - mainly due to the different operating environment on the modern Network Rail main line. Due to the lack of surviving steam infrastructure, water capacity is at a premium and so Tornado carries 6,200 gallons, as opposed to 5,000 gallons, and 7½ tons of coal, rather than 9 tons in the original A1s. The tender is also the home for many of Tornado's other unique features including an alternator, Timken cartridge roller bearings (pre-greased sealed self-contained units which do not have to be fitted in enclosed axleboxes), Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS), National Radio Network (NRN) radio, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway (GSM-R) radio, GPS tracker and of course the mobile phone charger! How you can help: We need to raise £200,000 by 2021 to purchase Tornado's tender – thereby making the Trust debt-free - and finally completing the project we embarked upon in 1990. Following the success – thanks to your generosity – of our Regular and Dedicated Donation schemes for the construction of Tornado and the 1,524 slices appeal for the overhaul and conversion of E21249, her dedicated support coach, the Trustees have decided to follow a similar route for the purchase of Tornado's tender. However, instead of "an A1 for the price of a pint" and "use your loaf", we've decided to raise the funds in a different way, "The 163 Pacifics Club":

We need to raise £200,000 to purchase Tornado's tender.
Although Tornado carries the number '60163' - the next in the Peppercorn class A1 series following 60162 Saint Johnstoun – her pre-nationalisation LNER number would have been '163'.
If 163 people were to donate £10pm over the eight years until we need to purchase the tender (or alternatively make a one-off donation of £960) with the addition of Gift Aid (£2.50pm or £240 one-off) this would raise £195,600.

As with the pervious schemes, this initiative comes with benefits for those who generously take part:

A numbered certificate (1-163) recording the details of the donation and the number/name of your favourite ex-LNER express passenger pacific from the Gresley class A3s/A4s, Thompson class A1/1 and Peppercorn class A1s.
Name inscribed on the official Roll of Honour in Darlington Locomotive Works which will detail the pacific sponsored.
Entry into a draw for a main line footplate-ride on Tornado.

It really is that simple! With your help Tornado could be debt free with her paid-for tender behind by 2021. Please complete the donation form today. Thank you.