COLIN KERSWILL RETIRES Country Class Pacific No
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6 0163 TORNADO THE New Steam for the Main Line COMMUNICATION CORD No. 43 Summer 2016 Colin Cragg. Tornado passing Wyfordby 13th August 2016. TALES OF ‘THE ROBIN HOOD’ by Graeme Bunker ‘The Robin Hood’ was a new itinerary for running from King’s Cross just as good where our friends there made us very Tornado, offering a chance to visit Crich with early arrivals at Potters Bar and welcome and helped to tank the train, Tramway museum or Chatsworth House. Stevenage to collect further passengers. including the kitchen car, and to assist with The routing took in the familiar ECML but The run north was also well to time the coaling and servicing of Tornado. It was was Tornado’s first passenger trip on the with an early arrival at our water stop at good to see a nice crowd out to welcome Stamford route and would involve a first Oakham and at Alfreton (for Crich) and the locomotive. visit to Nottingham. Chesterfield (for Chatsworth). The train The return to Chesterfield was The weather was excellent and the then ran onto Barrow Hill for servicing necessarily via Sheffield and the locomotive ➤ 1 provided an ample spectacle, particularly Fire Brigade who used their appliance and a on the long climb from Sheffield Midland to nearby hydrant to water the locomotive. We by Mark Allatt CONTENTS From the chair PAGE 1 Bradway Tunnel, arrival at Chesterfield was, were ready to go just 20 minutes after our however, a few minutes late due to following booked time and despite the problems we for its launch in a few weeks’ time. progress to see and it gives us an excuse Tales of ‘The Robin Hood’ PAGE 2 a late running Plymouth service. There were immensely grateful to Network Rail for Tornado is also hauling the ‘Belmond for an event in the New Year! Editorial was plenty of time for passengers to take giving the locomotive a fast line path all the British Pullman’ from London Victoria With well over £2m now pledged PAGE 3 photographs and visit the footplate before way to Huntingdon. After two service trains either as lunchtime Surrey Hills circulars to our P2 project, we need to keep From the chair boarding for the return. had passed we left Grantham 31 minutes or longer day trips to Bath and Bristol up our fundraising efforts if we are to PAGE 4 As we headed for home passengers were late behind a VTEC express and set off south. as the stand-in for No. 35028 Clan Line achieve our 2021 target. We have already Tornado on Tour not aware of a problem ahead at Grantham. Averaging 76mph for 30 miles, including which is currently under overhaul. As recruited over 760 covenantors to the PAGE 6 Our booked water tanker, seen first at passing the location of Mallard’s famous supporters of the Trust you can receive a P2 Project, The Boiler Club has passed Tornado on Tour - Oakham, had broken down around ten miles record run, we were only fifteen minutes late 10% saving on journeys for travel on the 100 members and Dedicated Donations 'The Scarborough Flyer' away from where it needed to be; a total by Huntingdon. We continued to win back ‘Belmond British Pullman’ during 2016 – have raised over £170,000 from the PAGE 8 loss of oil had rendered the vehicle immobile time and arrived into King’s Cross just three just quote code TO10 at time of booking. sponsorship of a variety of components. Tornado on Tour - and caused a big problem. As we passed minutes late. Without the help of the Fire As the majority of our main line ‘The Torbay Express’ Nottingham for the first time a ‘Plan B’ was Brigade, Network Rail and our magnificent trains apart from the ‘Belmond British PAGE 9 being worked on. locomotive we would have been a lot later. Pullman’ will for the foreseeable future The 163 Pacifics Club Thankfully after several phone calls Overall a great day out on a new route and be promoted by the Trust, it is vital that PAGE 10 assistance was rendered by the Lincolnshire one we shall look to do again. TCC s I write this column in late- we fill them and so I would ask that you A1 Profiles Alan Weaver. August, No. 60163 Tornado is look again at our 2016 programme to A1 Profile - No. 60114 W.P Allen already two-thirds into her 2016 see which trains you are able to support programmeA with eight ‘Belmond British and also encourage friends and family to PAGE 12 Shed Notices Pullmans’, four of our own promoted experience some of Tornado’s magic. PAGE 13 tours, an unexpected ‘Torbay Express’ and Tornado is also making several heritage ‘The Severn Valley Venturer’ a visit to Didcot Railway Centre already railway and centre visits during the 2016. PAGE 14 under her belt. We started with the Didcot Railway Social Media Elsewhere in the issue of TCC you can Centre over Easter and this will be The P2 front end takes shape. Covenantors' diary read about ‘The Scarborough Flyer’ and followed by the Nene Valley Railway’s PAGE 15 ‘The Robin Hood’. Although we would ‘East Coast Revival’ later in August and There is also of course the sponsorship ‘The Magna Carta’ consider both trains as successful, we the Severn Valley Railway’s ‘Pacific Power’ of our locomotive’s distinctive front-end PAGE 16 did have a number of empty seats and so event with Flying Scotsman in September. by The Gresley Society Trust – a sight P2 Dedicated Donations would encourage you to take a look at As you know, last year marked the 25th which has started to emerge once again update our forward diary and consider booking anniversary of the launch of the project from the mists of time. Diary 2016 on one of Tornado’s remaining trains in to build a new Peppercorn class A1. The However, in order to keep to our PAGE 17 The train is seen at Woodhouse Junction. 2016. Yet to come are ‘The Severn Valley A1 Project’s London Road Show took self-imposed schedule we need to raise ‘The Bath Spa Christmas Venturer’ on Thursday 8th September place at the Great Northern Hotel on around £700,000 every year until 2021 Express’ from London Victoria to Bidgnorth, ‘The 20th April 1991 where David Elliott and which gets harder as each year goes by PAGE 18 Magna Carta’ on Saturday 8th October I first volunteered to help the Trust – I due to the nature of our ‘P2 for the price The big picture editorial by Graham Langer know that there are a few more of us PAGE 20 from London King’s Cross to Lincoln, of a pint’ monthly covenant scheme. And Running a steam locomotive on the main line is always a bit of stalwarts still around too! As ever, we from an engineering perspective our P2 engineering report ‘The Bath Spa Christmas Express’ on st th PAGE 23 a roller-coaster ride and the last few months have proved no Thursday 1 December from London would like to use this 25 anniversary next big leap forward will be to wheel Boiler Club badges exception. Among her duties on ‘The Belmond British Pullman’, the Victoria to Bath & Bristol and ‘The as an opportunity to highlight the No. 2007 Prince of Wales . We launched PAGE 24 Trust has been able to plan an increasing number of A1SLT promoted Christmas Canterbury Tale’ on Monday importance of The 163 Pacifics Club The Mikado Club a matter of only a few The Boiler Club tours for No. 60163, including the extremely successful ‘Scarborough 12th December from London Victoria to – our desire to complete what we set months ago to raise £200,000 to make PAGE 26 Flyer’ in early June; perfect weather saw Tornado visit the resort with Canterbury. out to do 25 years ago and purchase this happen and are delighted that we The Mikado Club a train for the first time, coming off the return trip at York to allow it As always, our plan with the Trust’s Tornado’s tender. Thanks to your most are already half way towards reaching PAGE 27 to proceed with modern traction. While she was stabled in York the own trains is to promote the right train generous support we now have well over our goal. If you haven’t already signed up, Events attendence chance of a ‘catch ride’ back to London at the head of a Pathfinder tour occurred but, with the right starting points, route and 100 members of The 163 Pacifics Club please do look again at supporting this Historical P2 Memorabilia despite the locomotive being prepared and a crew provided, Tornado was prevented from destination taken to market sufficiently - tremendous progress but we still have vital appeal. The Mikado Club badges leaving the NRM compound by a computer glitch which deleted her from the Rolling early in order to generate enough profit some distance to go before we can say Thank you again for all for your PAGE 28 Stock Library! You couldn’t make it up! to keep Tornado operating on the main “mission accomplished”. continued support for both Tornado and The pattern making and With her position once more restored in Network Rail’s ‘virtual’ stock list, Tornado line on a day-to-day basis (excluding Meanwhile in Darlington Locomotive Prince of Wales . With a great programme casting of the Chimney returned to London to work ‘The Belmond British Pullman’ on 23rd July.