A mad dream realised
Steam Railway’s editor at the time was Nigel Harris, now managing editor of SR’s sister magazine RAIL. He vividly recalls the early days of the ‘A1’ idea.
“I was aware of the ‘A1’ project, but I was sceptical that they were just another group with a big dream which would remain just that. How wrong can you be?!
“Mel Holley [former SR editor] and I had spent a superb weekend at the Bluebell Railway, working with Clive Groome, on a step-by-step photo feature about how to light up, prepare and operate a steam locomotive. Our engine had been the 1902-vintage ‘C’ class 0-6-0 No. 592, then over 90 years old. What struck me was the gentleness and veneration with which Clive handled the ‘C’. The engine felt elderly… delicate … and it was a joy to see him handling it with kid gloves.
“I was driving back north on the Sunday evening, waiting at the toll, to go through the Blackwall Tunnel, when it hit me. One day some careful driver would be handling one of the later-built BR Riddles ‘9Fs’ with equal veneration because it was the thick end of 100 years old. In that moment of clarity, the penny dropped with me about the enormous significance of what David Champion was determined to do.
I wrote a SR comment explaining this whole experience, arguing that if we wanted to see main line steam engines running in the distant future we must now build new locomotives. The only alternative was a grim and inevitable ‘procession to the plinth.’
A few months later, David and I met again. “I have something to show you,” he said, handing me a graph.
A line meandered along, just above the horizontal axis, roughly parallel with it. Suddenly, it jumped up at an angle of 45º or so…. and continued upwards.
“That’s our progress recruiting covenantors,” he said.
I pointed at the sudden uptick. “Blimey, what happened there?”
He smiled. “That was your ‘procession to the plinth’ editorial,” he said. “It seems that your compelling argument in our favour converted lots of others to the cause. You gave us a real turning point – thank you!”
I was shocked – pleasantly – and said: “If you really want to thank me, please just let me have some time in the cab when the engine is finished. I have always wondered what it would be like to experience the footplate of a brand new, factory-fresh engine.”
“You’re on!” he said. And I forgot all about it. David didn’t.
The clock now rolls forward nearly 15 years. It is now a decade since I moved from SR to RAIL. I was by then a driver and director of the Great Central Railway and had lobbied successfully for Tornado to come to Loughborough for ‘snagging’ trials. The deal was done and Tornado turned up at the GCR in works grey. What I did not know was that David had acted on his promise from 15 years earlier – and then some!
He had quietly approached GCR management and asked if I could be the GCR’s rostered driver on the first occasion that 60163 hauled a passenger train – of A1 Trust supporters.
So, on September 21 2008, I signed on at Loughborough and climbed aboard ‘my’ engine – brand new ‘A1’ 4-6-2 No. 60163
Tornado, whose smokebox was poking out of the shed, into the sun. Any engine can only ever have a first rostered driver on the railway it first operates on – and, to my amazement, that was me. It was one of the most moving and proudest moments of my railway life and I shall never forget the surge of excitement winding the engine into forward gear, asking fireman Ken Scriven to unscrew the handbrake, then slowly releasing the air brake and feeling Tornado roll out of the shed towards Loughborough Central station. A1 Trust driver/director Graeme Bunker was the A1 Trust’s ‘owners rep’ and he shared the day’s honours with me. We had an amazing time.
This isn’t a story about me. It’s an insight into David Champion’s determination, decency, kindness and loyalty.
It was such a pleasure inviting David into the cab of ‘his’ engine and sit him in the driver’s seat to snap my ‘cat who got the cream’ portrait on the previous page. David has every right to look so happy. Of course, it was a huge team success, but without David’s unflinching determination, when most of the steam community (including me!) thought he was as mad as a hatter, the Tornado dream would have remained just that. A dream.
David, old friend, I salute you. And thanks for setting up the driving turn of a lifetime.