Thanks for all your comments really interesting I suppose the A1 group wouldn’t want to break there pride and joy. Neil
I'd bet a good bottle of wine - regardless of what might be said officially - that every member of the A1 group has wondered at some time, and in particular after the 100 mph test run: a) what the top speed of Tornado could be if allowed free rein on the right section of track? and b) whether it could equal, if not beat, Mallard's record?
It's the nature of the beast - they've created an express passenger locomotive - of course they'd love to know it's top speed.
But they are realists (or they are at least led by realists) with experts in engineering, finance and operating who keep their emotions well under the control of their professional heads. That's how they got the A1 built in the first place - it would otherwise have remained a dream.
In some ways, it's down to economics. As someone wrote up-thread, the LNER took a serious risk with the Mallard run in 1938. As it transpired, the fact the loco to all intents and purposes failed (in terms of being able to finish the job) was overlooked because of the glory of the achievement. I'm sure every LNER worker from Top Shed to Aberdeen Ferryhill went to work on that Monday morning feeling extra pride in the job, and the publicity department would have been quick to remind passengers they were travelling on the 'fastest railway in the land' - or words to that effect, even if the top speed of their train was unlikely to be more than 90 mph in the best of cases, and much less for the majority.
Any attempt today, by Tornado or any other loco, would definitely not bring the economic benefit comensurate with the risk: it would be a fantastic operation and great fun, but neither the A1 folk nor Network Rail could seriously benefit from success. It's no longer 1938 and the age of steam is far too long gone. And both could be seriously disadvantaged by failure. So it won't happen, and nobody in a responsible position would even suggest it.