Tornado return is delayed

HOPES of ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado returning from a major overhaul and running ‘Aberdonian’ tours in July have suffered a setback due to situations outside the control of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

Tornado’s boiler is away at DB Meiningen, Germany, being overhauled, but the impact of Covid-19 on the German manufacturing industry has led to a significant delay, meaning the component was not expected to arrive back in the UK in the second half of July.

Supply chain

A further problem has occurred fitting new tyres to the driving wheels because of congestion on the production line, plus the crank axle wheels need some minor remedial works before the new tyres are fitted. The wheels were due for delivery in mid-July.

Because of the manufacturing delay, reassembly of Tornado at Loughborough will definitely run into August. A further consideration is that the loco is being fitted with ETCS (European Train Control System) to make it compatible with the new digital signalling planned for the East Coast Main Line south of Doncaster, so both that and the loco will need comprehensive testing.

Dates

The extended timescale and scope of the overhaul, plus the loss of intended earnings this summer, is impacting the financial reserves of the Trust. If you would like to contribute to Tornado, there are details on the website, a1steam. com.

Provisional dates for running the ‘Aberdonian’ are September 1, 8 and 17, but it will not be known until sometime in August whether the loco will be ready.