Tornado is raring to haul tours!
TORNADO is fit and ready to operate main line tours this coming season as soon as Government Covid-19 restrictions permit.
That was the message from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT), which owns and operates the Pacific – after No. 60163 was safely recertified for another 12 months of operation on the national network in mid-February.
The 4-6-2 and its Mk.1 support coach have remained at the National Railway Museum in York over the winter. Full-time staff from the A1SLT have ensured the locomotive and carriage were safely stored through the cooler months by draining the boiler and coach water systems and ensuring the motion and other brightwork were greased and oiled to reduce corrosion as much as possible.
Recertification
During the very cold weather in January, the team visited to ensure all was well. In February, members of the A1SLT conducted annual exams on the support coach and Tornado prior to recertification. This included inspections on the boiler and key locomotive systems such as the On Train Monitoring Recorder (OTMR), Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) and Global Systems for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSMR). The battery in the OTMR unit was replaced, which required the whole unit to be sent away, as this must be completed, and the unit bench tested before being refitted to the locomotive.
During its enforced period out of traffic due to the lockdown, the locomotive has been moved every week to prevent ‘brinelling’ of the axlebox roller bearings. Moving No. 60163 also allows oil to be spread around the other bearings and working surfaces to prevent things drying out and corroding.
Duties
Tornado’s first railtour of 2021 is set to be May 22’s ‘The Pennine Explorer’ from Leicester to Carlisle, organised by the A1SLT’s Tornado Railtours. A week later, the Pacific is booked to haul the Railway Touring Company’s (RTC) ‘The South Devon Explorer’ from Woking to Plymouth.
After working two further excursions for RTC in June, the locomotive is scheduled to be employed on Tornado Railtours’ programme through to midSeptember.
For more details about A1SLT tours, visit a1steam.com