TORNADO PUTS IN THE EFFORT

In my last piece, I promised some analysis of performance south of Hereford on the two Tornado runs and that of Taw Valley which featured in Table 2 in SR502. My colleague Alastair Wood has kindly contributed some detail of No. 34027’s crewing which was lacking in the table. He noted that Crewe men worked the train as far as Hereford, where Driver Shaw of Hereford took over to Newport.

With 490 tons behind the tender, Driver Shaw made a confident start from Hereford and a moderate climb of the 1-in-92/104 to Milepost 3¼ at about 1,200edhp, according to David Pawson’s analysis, but the best work was done after Tram Inn, accelerating on level track from 55½ to 67mph before St Devereux, requiring around 1,550edhp.

A further good effort was made recovering from the long clearance slack at Pontrilas, with 1,500edhp attained on the climb through Pandy before the locomotive was eased approaching Llanvihangel summit, possibly in anticipation of the signal check at Abergavenny Junction, or because the train was running early on a very generous schedule.

The figure of 1,500edhp was again reached on the 1-in-80 climb from Penpergwm to Milepost 27½.

Turning now to the two Tornado runs in Table 2, the recent run in November last year was with 395 tons gross, whereas the earlier run, from 2012, was with 510 tons.

On the climb out of Hereford, the summit was passed at 44mph on both runs. With the lighter load, David Pawson estimates that a steady 1,850edhp was being exerted, while on the earlier run, above the site of Red Hill Junction on the 1-in-104 gradient, 2,200edhp was realised for about 1½ mins. On the 1-in-100 up to Llanvihangel summit with the 395-ton train, No. 60163, falling to 51½mph, attained around 1,750edhp, while with 510 tons a minimum of 43½mph reflected power in the 2,000edhp range. There was a similar power output on the 1-in-80 beyond Penpergwm with the 510-ton train.