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.
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.
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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.
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