6 0163 TORNADO THE New Steam for the Main Line COMMUNICATION CORD No. 42 Spring 2016 David Ireland Tornado on 'The Belmond British Pullman' at Virginia Water. TRUST TOPS FUNDRAISING CENTURY FOR BOTH TORNADO AND PRINCE OF WALES By Mark Allatt The Trust’s fundraising for both No. 60163 Passenger Pacific. The Boiler Club was And the number of ‘P2 for the price of Tornado and No. 2007 Prince of Wales has formed to raise at least £600,000 to a pint of beer a week’ covenantors has taken a major step forward in recent purchase Prince of Wales’s boiler and has passed 750. weeks with membership of both The 163 a target of 300 members, each donating Please do consider participating in one Pacifics Club and The Boiler Club passing £2,000 (plus GAD) to the Trust. or more of these schemes if you are able, the 100 mark. In addition the Trust’s newly launched as they are a vital part of our on-going The 163 Pacifics Club was formed to fundraising campaign to get new Gresley fundraising to keep Tornado on the main raise £200,000 to purchase Tornado’s class P2 No. 2007 onto its wheels in time line and complete Prince of Wales by 2021. tender and has a target of 163 members, for our Annual Convention has also got Our sincerest thanks go to all of our each donating £960 (plus GAD) to the off to a flying start, with well over £50,000 supporters who have given – and continue Trust by sponsoring an ex-LNER Express already pledged from a target of £200,000. to give – so generously. TCC 1 by Mark Allatt CONTENTS editorial by Graham Langer From the chair Page 1 fast so early booking is advisable. with the fitting of more parts of the Trust tops fundraising 2016 is turning into a tumultuous year for main line steam in the UK. century There will be more A1SLT promoted footplate and the final assembly of the The ‘highs’ such as Flying Scotsman’s return to traffic and the success PAGe 2 trains with Tornado in the second half of smokebox and cab - which means that of Tornado on the ‘Belmond British Pullman’ and our own tours have Editorial 2016 but one that is almost finalised as it won’t be too long before both cab been countered by the ‘lows’ of the closure of the Settle & Carlisle Ray Towell - 1946 – 2016 we go to press is the ‘The Severn Valley and smokebox are fitted to the frames. line and the reversals of fortune suffered by West Coast Railways. PAGe 3 Venturer’ on Thursday 8th September, With the completion of the FeA of the The landscape of main line steam is changing fast and may look From the chair from London Victoria to the Severn Valley crank axle it is now full speed ahead to completely different this time next year – even our own operator PAGe 4 Railway via Slough and Reading – please get the engine wheeled in time for our Tornado has altered its name to DB Cargo! We can be sure, however, that on Tour look out for details. convention in October. the incredibly professional team responsible for maintaining our locomotive’s access to PAGe 8 Tornado is also hauling a limited number With over £2m now pledged to our 'East coast revival' at Nene the main line will ensure that we capitalise on any opportunity that comes our way. of trains for other promoters. Most P2 project, we need to keep up our Valley Railway It is sometimes hard to believe that the Trust was formed in 1990 and many of its notable is the ‘Belmond British Pullman’ fundraising efforts if we are to achieve Diary 2016 founders are still heavily involved; indeed our Chairman, Mark Allatt, and Director of from London Victoria, where we expect our 2021 target. elsewhere in this issue PAGe 9 engineering, David elliott, have been part of the organisation for 25 years! The less happy to be hauling around 15 trains either of TCC you will read that we have already 'The Scarborough Flyer' aspect of this lengthening span is that we are starting to see some of our stalwarts fall as lunchtime Surrey Hills circulars or recruited over 750 covenantors to the PAGe 10 by the wayside, the latest being the irrepressible Ray Towell who died on the 27th March; s I write this column in mid-May, longer day trips to Bath and Bristol as the P2 Project, that The Boiler Club has A1 Engineering Report Graeme Bunker has penned a tribute to a man who helped us in many ways. No. 60163 Tornado is already well stand-in for No. 35028 Clan Line which is topped 100 members and that Dedicated Merchandise update Better news concerned the unveiling of the statue of Sir Nigel Gresley at King’s Cross, a into her 2016 programme with currently under overhaul. As supporters Donations have raised almost £170,000 Arthur Peppercorn’s last suitable memorial to a great engineer. Although this recognition is to be applauded, surely resting place located threeA ‘Belmond British Pullmans’, two of of the Trust you can receive a 10% saving from the sponsorship of a variety of the best tribute we can pay the great man will be to complete Prince of Wales and have PAGe 11 our own promoted tours and a visit to on journeys for travel on the ‘Belmond components (look out for our Father’s it running on the main line, a living, breathing testimony to the genius behind the design? A1 project pre-dawn- Part 2 Didcot Railway Centre already under her British Pullman’ before July 2016 – just Day offers!). There is also of course Progress with the P2 moves ahead on many fronts and the completion of components PAGe 12 belt. quote code TO10 at time of booking. the sponsorship of our locomotive’s both large and small is enabling assembly to continue in several different areas. TCC Profile – Tim and Ben Godfrey The second train of the year to be As the majority of our main line distinctive front-end by The Gresley PAGe 13 promoted by the Trust was ‘The Devon trains apart from the ‘Belmond British Society Trust. 'The Robin Hood' Belle’ from London Paddington to exeter Pullman’ will for the foreseeable future However, in order to keep to our PAGe 14 on Saturday 2nd April. This train was fully be promoted by the Trust, it is vital that self-imposed schedule we need to raise Darlington North Road Works booked, selling well from the moment we fill them and so I would ask that you around £700,000 every year until 2021 remembered RAY TOWELL - 1946 – 2016 by Graeme Bunker that we announced it – again proving look at our developing programme to which gets harder as each year goes by PAGe 17 It is with great sadness that we have to that the right train with the right starting see which trains you are able to support due to the nature of our ‘P2 for the price The 163 Pacifics Club PAGe 18 report the passing of one of the great points, route and destination taken to and also encourage friends and family to of a pint’ monthly covenant scheme. The big picture friends of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, market sufficiently early will generate experience some of Tornado’s magic. And from an engineering perspective PAGe 20 Ray Towell. He died around midnight on a sufficient return to be commercially Tornado will also be making several our big leap forward in 2016 will be to th P2 engineering report Sunday 27 March after suffering from a viable and generate sufficient profit to heritage railway and centre visits during wheel No. 2007 Prince of Wales in time P2 Fundraising major stroke. keep Tornado operating on the main line 2016. We started with the Didcot Railway for our Annual Convention on Saturday PAGe 22 Ray was a long term supporter of the on a day-to-day basis (excluding five Centre over easter and this will be 1st October. We launched The Mikado The Boiler Club project to build a new A1. As a young yearly overhauls). followed by the Nene Valley Railway’s Club a matter of only a few weeks ago to Boiler Club badges spotter he travelled from his home in Our third train of the year is ‘The ‘east Coast Revival’ in August and the raise £200,000 to make this happen and PAGe 25 Oakham to the eCML at Peterborough Scarborough Flyer’ on Saturday 4th June Severn Valley Railway’s ‘Pacific Power’ are delighted that 45 people have already P2 Dedicated Donations where the class could regularly be seen from London King’s Cross to York and event with Flying Scotsman in September come on-board, pledging over £50,000 update working through. Whilst his fondness for Scarborough, picking up passengers at where there will be special events for which means that we are well on the way PAGe 27 the GWR knew no bounds he was always Potters Bar and Peterborough. This will supporters. to reaching our goal. Pressing a P2 smokebox door th PAGe 28 a passionate supporter of the LNER and be the first time thatTornado has hauled a As you know, last year marked the 25 Thank you again for all for your The Mikado Club in particular the work of Ivatt, Gresley Ray the footplate of No. 60163 revenue earning train to the famous east anniversary of the launch of the project continued support for both Tornado and PAGe 29 and Peppercorn.