TORNADO

"Tornado" and the A4 Pacific 4468 "Mallard" seen here just south of Thirsk headed for Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham. "Mallard" arrived at her new home on June 23rd and will remain there for at least two years as major work gets underway in the main hall at the NRM in York. Click on the image to see it full size. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

A wonderful sight for steam enthusiasts - "Tornado" and "Mallard" side by side at Shildon. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

"Tornado" visited Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon on June 23rd having hauled the A4 Pacific 4468 "Mallard" from the National Railway Museum in York. The NRM is to undergo extensive work to the main hall and "Mallard" will have a two year stay at her new home. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

Hundreds of enthusiasts turned out in force to see "Tornado" at Shildon having hauled "Mallard" from the NRM in York. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

Letting off steam at Shildon. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

Tornado into Brunswick Green for a limited time only

The A1 Steam Locomotion Trust has announced that Tornado will be repainted from her British Railways Apple Green livery into Brunswick Green livery, following her winter maintenance, in early 2011, when the locomotive would have been due a repaint anyway. The original Peppercorn class A1's carried four liveries during their short service lives (Apple Green with ‘British Railways on the tender, Express Passenger Blue with the BR Crest on the tender and Brunswick Green with both Crest and later Emblem on the tender).

Mark Allatt says: “We have long promised that Tornado will carry all four historic liveries during her first ten years of operation. Tornado will, therefore, carry Brunswick Green with both Crest and Emblem following her winter maintenance at the National Railway Museum, York. This will be for a limited period only as the Tornado ‘brand’ is very much as an Apple Green locomotive and this will remain her ‘core’ livery.”

The repaint will be carried out at the National Railway Museum, York inside the museum's heated paint shop with the same team who applied the current livery - Ian and Dan Matthews with Mike ‘Tomo’ Thompson doing the lining out. The locomotive will again be brush painted and carry both the BR crest and emblem during its time in Brunswick Green.

"Tornado" at Shildon, County Durham, having hauled 4468 "Mallard" up from the National Railway Museum at York on June 23rd. Photograph © Stan Laundon.

Scheme launched to provide Tornado with her own support coach

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has announced that it is launching a new fundraising scheme to provide Tornado with her own support coach.

A support coach and crew are an essential part of the long distance operation of steam locomotives on the modern railway. Since main line steam operation ended in 1968, almost the entire static infrastructure required to support steam locomotive operation no longer exists. The support crew prepares the locomotive for operation and then services it at stops for coal and/or water. Support coaches are usually passenger brake coaches of the British Railways Mark 1 era, taking advantage of the existence of the guards/parcels van space in these coaches for ease of conversion to workshop/stores/mess functions. One part of the former van area contains a storage and workshop area, another serves as the mess room, while the passenger area provides seating and/or sleeping accommodation for the crew. The support coach will invariably be the first vehicle in the rake of coaches, immediately behind the locomotive.

The support coach currently being used with Tornado is normally to be seen with Thompson B1 61264. As this historic locomotive is due to return to traffic after overhaul later this year, the Trust has to have a replacement in place. In 2008 Mark 1 Brake Corridor Composite (BCK) 21249 was moved to Darlington Locomotive works from Ruddington on the GCR (N). The vehicle is a Swindon 1961 built, five compartment composite brake with three second class and two first class compartments, two toilet compartments, a guard’s compartment and a caged luggage area. The coach was part of the SLOA set from 1981, sold to Pullman Rail in 1984 and then to the Lavender Line circa 1989. Frank Nicholas bought it in November 2001 and moved it to the Telford Railway. Subsequently it was moved to the GCR(N) at Rushcliffe in July 2002 where it was heavily vandalised. It was then moved to Ruddington where Frank rebuilt the vandalised interior using parts from another BCK, from where it was moved upon sale to our works.

The Trustees have decided that the coach’s overhaul will take place at our works in Darlington, with only selected components being dealt with externally. They also decided that the coach would be painted Crimson Lake, usually referred to as Crimson, and Cream (the combination often referred to colloquially as "blood and custard") and would carry the running number E21249.

The Trust has set the target of achieving the overhaul and conversion of Mark 1 BCK coach E21249 to Tornado’s support coach for under £100,000 following Barry and Linda Wilson’s generous purchase of the coach and donation of it to the Trust.

Following the success - thanks to our supporters’ generosity - of our dedicated donation scheme for the construction of Tornado, the Trustees have decided to follow a similar route for Tornado’s support coach. But instead of “an A1 for the price of a pint”, the original slogan used to promote the project, we’ve decided to raise the “bread” in a different way: “use your loaf”:

  • The coach is 63ft 6in in length – 762 inches – or 1524 ‘slices’ at ½ inch each.
  • Each ‘slice’ can be sponsored for £50; £100 for a ‘doorstep’; £1,000  for  ‘half a loaf’; and £2,000 for a ‘loaf’;
  • If all are sponsored, it would raise £76,200; if we assume 80% of the donations come with Gift Aid, this rises to over £93,000.

And, as with the dedicated donation scheme, our “use your loaf” initiative comes with benefits for those generous enough to take part:

  • A certificate recording the details of the sponsorship and a copy of a drawing of the coach noting which slice(s) have been sponsored
  • Name inscribed on the official Role of Honour carried on the coach which will detail the slice(s) sponsored
  • Entry into draw for main line footplate ride on Tornado
  • Exclusive opportunity to order Bachmann model of E21249 (a perfect companion to the new model of Tornado) with appropriate one of 1524 certificates produced for sponsors. The model is expected to cost about £25.

Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented:

“It really is that simple. With your help – and ‘slices’ - Tornado could be running with her own dedicated support coach in September. The team in Darlington has already started work – please “use your loaf” and subscribe to this scheme today.” You can download the "Use Your Loaf" application form in PDF format here.

"Tornado" at Eaglescliffe on Teesside - Saturday, April 24th, 2010. Having travelled down from Durham she took the freight route, through Norton and Stockton, before eventually stopping at Darlington North Road - her birthplace. She later moved to the Railway Museum in Shildon.

The A1 Peppercorn class "Tornado" just south of Thirsk heading towards Newcastle on March 12, 2009.

The A1 Peppercorn class 60163 "Tornado" running on the east coast main line. Here she was hauling the "Tyne Tornado" on March 12th, 2009. She left Newcastle for York on the morning and returned late afternoon. This photograph, one of several, was taken as she approached Thirsk, in North Yorkshire.

March 12th, 2009 - again at Thirsk in North Yorkshire

"Tornado" - again, without her name plate, taken at Bradbury, just outside of Sedgefield as she headed towards Ferryhill having left Darlington. This was taken on February 1st, 2009.

The mini slide show above shows twelve images of "Tornado" as she steamed through Eaglescliffe Station near Yarm, on Teesside on Saturday, April 24th, 2010.

For details of how to help or where to travel behind "Tornado" visit the A1 Steam website or email: enquiries@a1steam.com

All photographs of "Tornado" by Stan Laundon are © copyright and must not be used in any way without prior written permission.

Other "Tornado" photographs on this page are © copyright the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.