Well, this is big. I'm not going to lie, I had to make sure it wasn't April 1st when I first read it, but it all looks legitimate.
https://www.a1steam.com/2016/10/04/tornado-get-state-o-art-charter-train/
Rather than quote the whole thing here, as it's quite long, I'm going to summarise:
Quite an announcement - probably the most ambitious and ground-breaking in New Build history since Tornado itself. I'm excited to see how this pans out.
I don't know how much work will be required to use a set of MK3s with Tornado - or what one would do about a brake coach, as no MK3 brake coaches were built. Perhaps convert a TGS?
Looking at Google Earth, I'm wondering if the new site may have something to do with the Head of Steam museum's site... There have been plans to close it for a while - maybe this could be a way of preserving heritage and using the land around the site? I'm just speculating. Either way, it'll be fascinating to watch things develop.
https://www.a1steam.com/2016/10/04/tornado-get-state-o-art-charter-train/
Rather than quote the whole thing here, as it's quite long, I'm going to summarise:
- The A1SLT is planning to create a new charter train for Tornado (and presumably Prince of Wales from loco-hauled MK3 stock released from the Anglia franchise. This new train will include a kitchen car, a new support coach, a service vehicle for a generator and crew accommodation and extra water capacity to extend Tornado's range.
- They are also planning to start 90mph testing with Tornado with a view to running it at that speed on selected routes on the Mainline, with testing to start in Spring 2017. They apparently have DB Cargo's full support with this.
- The trust would like to move to a new base elsewhere in Darlington with a Mainline connection and more space for locomotive construction and maintenance etc. They would also like the site to potentially have room for a turntable and carriage shed for the new train, and are in discussions with the relevant authorities already.
- Finally, the Trust has decided that the next engine to be built following 2007 will be a Gresley V4 2-6-2 mixed traffic engine, followed by a V3 2-6-2 tank engine. Design work on the V4 will start in the next 12 months using 3D CAD.
Quite an announcement - probably the most ambitious and ground-breaking in New Build history since Tornado itself. I'm excited to see how this pans out.
I don't know how much work will be required to use a set of MK3s with Tornado - or what one would do about a brake coach, as no MK3 brake coaches were built. Perhaps convert a TGS?
Looking at Google Earth, I'm wondering if the new site may have something to do with the Head of Steam museum's site... There have been plans to close it for a while - maybe this could be a way of preserving heritage and using the land around the site? I'm just speculating. Either way, it'll be fascinating to watch things develop.
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