The Communication Cord

6 0163 TORNADO THE New Steam for the Main Line COMMUNICATION CORD No. 18 May 2010 An illustration of the first Gresley class P2 2001 Cock O’ the North in original condition. M Secretan FEASABILITY STUDY INTO BUILDING GRESLEY CLASS P2 ‘MIKado’ ANNOUNCED TORNADO that it is a lot harder work than many effects of this are more demands to hire CONSTRUCTION DEBT of us imagined. However, our new-found Tornado than we can cope with, ever HALVED role – and our locomotive’s super-star growing sales by our merchandise team status – has started to deliver significant and numbers of new Covenantors growing By Mark Allatt, Chairman, The A1 benefits. Millions of people are now aware more rapidly than ever before. Steam Locomotive Trust of Tornado and thousands of them are Now none of this would be possible With Tornado now into her second now travelling from far and wide to see without the tireless hard work by successful main line operating season, and travel behind our Big Apple Green our growing band of volunteers who thoughts inevitably start to turn to Machine, whether on a heritage railway accompany Tornado wherever she goes, “what next for the Trust?” The transition or on the main line. As you might have keeping her in tip-top condition and from a builder of steam locomotives to read in the railway press, our heritage maximising every revenue generating an operator has certainly not been a railway appearances are resulting in record opportunity. The outcome though is painless one and I think it is fair to say numbers of visitors. And the knock-on spectacular and at our spring day out ➤ 1 at ‘Locomotion: The National Railway of the construction phase with personal to come in through the door to pay for Museum at Shildon’ on Sunday 25th loans, will have been repaid in full. the overhaul and conversion of Tornado’s TORNADO iNtO BruNswiCk Green fOr a limitEd timE only April I was able to announce that our Based on our financial performance support vehicle. We have a long way to go debt has been halved and that by June to-date we are already planning how here but we have made a good start. We also announced at maintenance in early 2011 four liveries during their short Green with both Crest all that will remain to be repaid will be we will be able to repay the bond and With these benign conditions in place, Locomotion that Tornado when the locomotive would service lives (Apple Green and later Emblem on the our £500,000 bond issue, which is due provide sufficient additional funds for the the Trustees now feel that we can start will be repainted from her have been due a repaint with ‘British Railways’ on the tender). by the end of 2016. This means that all of intermediate and ten year overhaul as well of address the question I posed at the British Railways Apple Green anyway. As many of you tender, Express Passenger Blue We have long promised the debt associated with our locomotive always having an emergency contingency in beginning – “what next for the Trust?” livery into Brunswick Green will know, the original with the BR Crest on that Tornado will carry all four from Venturesome and our generous place. And with your help through our ‘use Over the years we have been asked this livery following her winter Peppercorn class A1s carried the tender and Brunswick historic liveries during her supporters who helped us at the very end your loaf’ appeal money is already started question many times and more often first ten years of operation. than not most people’s thoughts have 60120 kittiwake with Tornado will therefore carry turned to Gresley’s magnificent P2s. The a northbound train in Brunswick Green with both first Gresley class P2 No. 2001 Cock O’ late June 1962. Crest and Emblem following the North was completed in 1934 by her winter maintenance at the London & North Eastern Railway the National Railway Museum, (LNER) at its Doncaster works. It was York. This will be for a limited the most powerful express passenger period only as the Tornado steam locomotive ever built for a British ‘brand’ is very much as an railway. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, the Apple Green locomotive and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LNER this will remain her ‘core’ who also designed the famous class A3 livery.” 4472 Flying Scotsman and world speed The repaint will be carried record holder class A4 4468 Mallard, the out at the National Railway C.R. Gordon Stuart/courtesy Rail Archive Stephenson Gordon Stuart/courtesyC.R. Rail class, which was eventually to number six, Museum, York inside the was constructed for use on the arduous museum’s heated paint shop Edinburgh to Aberdeen route. The P2’s with the same team who 2-8-2 ‘Mikado’ wheel arrangement and 6ft applied the current livery - Ian 2in driving wheels enabled them to haul and Dan Matthews with Mike 600 ton trains on their own, replacing two ‘Tomo’ Thompson doing the older locomotives. lining out. The locomotive However, the P2s never lived up to their will again be brush painted potential. The advent of the streamlined and carry both the BR crest trains in the late 1930s and then the and emblem during its time in second world war meant that the design Vogel Cecil Brunswick Green. TCC was never fully developed and all six were rebuilt as class A2/2 4-6-2 ‘Pacifics’ in P2 2-8-2 No 2001 waits to leave king’s Cross on a demonstration run, 1943/44 by Sir Nigel Gresley’s successor 1st June 1934. Edward Thompson following Gresley’s MerChaNdisE report By Gillian Lord premature death in 1941. The P2 is the most frequently requested 2010 started off very quietly on the merchandise side, Tornado The merchandise was then sent up to Crewe for a weekend Editorial by Stephen Slack locomotive the Trust is asked to build had been under maintenance at York until early February and the sale opportunity at the Crewe Heritage Centre just before the next. In addition to its striking looks, first main line trip on 4th February (a Royal Charter) did not trip up to Carlisle run by HF Railtours. hank you model collection with another incredible power and undoubted glamour have any opportunities for sales! The trip up to Carlisle from Crewe via the Furness peninsular to all who delightful Bachmann model of Tornado. it also has around 70% commonality with The main ‘first event’ was the visit to the Mid Hants Railway. and back via Ais Gill was spectacular, the sun shone all day. T attended the Your support, as always, is hugely Tornado, including the boiler, tender and It was early March and the weather was lovely, cold frosty This was the first time the merchandise trolley dollies used Spring Convention appreciated. Before any further thoughts many other detailed fittings. However, sunny mornings, making the journey through the Hampshire the new EPOS system to record sales, for a first attempt it went at Shildon or who of build a P2 capture the imagination the design was never fully developed and countryside spectacular. rather well and I am sure in the months to come everyone have been up close don’t forget that is in need of a full-time, the locomotives failed to reach their full The stand was erected in a small waiting room at Ropley, the become very proficient. to Tornado already permanent Support Vehicle and, while potential. The Trust is therefore conducting room was set up as a 1950s lounge, complete with a period Premier Dining guests now have an “at table” service; this is to this year. The work on the renovation and conversion a feasibility study into the construction of television and a sleeping cat. The first contact with the staff at ensure the dollies do not interrupt the flow of meal deliveries. highlights of the are well underway this still needs a new Gresley P2, to be numbered 2007 Ropley station was a porter bearing a tray of tea cups, tea pot, This service has proved to be very popular and has resulted in Spring Convention were undoubtedly funding. The ‘Use Your Loaf’ campaign is as the next in the series. As a part of this milk and sugar, that set the feeling for the weekend to come, a increase sales. The orders are taken, and then delivered later to the announcements that not only has an excellent and simple way for you to study we are examining the commercial, lovely setting, friendly helpful staff and a stand set up indoors their seats. the Trust’s debt reduced by half and help with this project or to introduce engineering and certification challenges away from the cold wind. At the time of writing, the merchandise is at Shildon. Further that the engine will be re-painted in someone else to the excitement and that we would face in completing that The merchandise went very well, and the takings on Sunday lines have been added, including a small puzzle, pencil cases, an Brunswick Green in 2011 but that a enjoyment of being involved with development work to make a new P2 were the highest we have ever had for a single day mainly due A3 poster of Tornado storming out of Blea Moor Tunnel and feasibility study into the possibility of Tornado a success. Initial conversations with the to the cold weather, as the sales of fleeces and sweatshirts were finally a 6’’ ruler, which has proved to be a best seller.

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