Tornado misses out on 10th anniversary trains

by

DELAYS to repair work have forced the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to withdraw No. 60163 Tornado from a busy programme of trains it was booked to haul over the next two months.

Bans on steam operation because of the recent long spell of hot weather – both on heritage railways and much of the main line network – and the need to replace one of the locomotive’s outside union links because of the discovery of a tiny flaw in its surface, have put back its return to steam.

‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado passing Northwood on the Severn Valley Railway on March 17, a month prior to its ECML failure. IAN DIXON

The A1SLT says the union link defect only affects the hardened surface, rather than the strong core, but it will require replacement before main line operations can restart.

Article continues below…
Advert

Enjoy more Railway reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.

It is not thought to be related to the failure of No. 60163 on April 14’s ‘Ebor Flyer’ and does not prohibit operations at 25mph on heritage railways.

A new union link, manufactured by Stephenson Engineering Ltd of Atherton, was due to be completed in early-August and fitted to the locomotive, a task which takes two to three days.

Read more in the August issue of The RM – on sale now!

Article continues below…
Advert


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


Article Tags:

About the Author