New A1 Pacific 'Tornado'

Moved from Historic aviation as the connection is just a bit too tenuous to be valid. But in view of the wide interest I have left a redirect on there.

Moggy
Moderator

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but I thought that the restoration of 34070 ‘Manston’ to running order at the Swanage Railway was worthy of mention on here, see here Their next project? 34053 ‘Sir Keith Park’

The GWR named some of their Castle class locos after the BoB a/c, ie, Spitfire,Hurricane etc, however, I don’t think that any of these have survived.

5080 ‘Defiant’ survives in preservation, though is currently not in working order. Info

The Dorrigo Steam Railway in NSW has 2 former Railway Operating Division locomotives. From their website;

DRSM

Nice one, what a collection, don’t let the Brits get their hands on those R.O.D’s, we had the chance and we obviously didn’t love them as much as you do.

Sorry Peter I just looked in me Railway magzine and it says a G5 good knows why I said N8 😮
Did GWR name some of there locos from the Battle of Britian?

Yeah Bittern is back and based on the Mid hants Railway (The Watercress Line) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Bittern_at_ropley_1024_%28JPG%29.jpg

James

The GWR named some of their Castle class locos after the BoB a/c, ie, Spitfire,Hurricane etc, however, I don’t think that any of these have survived.
Bitterne won’t be seen much on the Mid Hants, it’s too much in demand on the national network and amongst more influential ‘Oop North’ railways.
We have the planes, the north have the trains.

The Dorrigo Steam Railway in NSW has 2 former Railway Operating Division locomotives. From their website;

DRSM

i’ve been out of trains for awhile but with 3 a4’s in steam at once is bittern back? if so doe’s she still have the early style wheel covers?.
if they can build all these new build loco’s (a1,saint,paitriot etc) why cant we build one little s class streamliner in victoria?.
paul
ps is duchess of hamilton still getting the streamline treatment?

Bittern does not have the all singing and dancing Gresley streamling as Mallard has, but I prefer the motion to be exposed.

Duchess of Hamilton is being really kept under wraps, but it is under work at the moment and will be revealed in all it’s streamlined glory at the end of the year, no problem.
Did any of you realise that the said locomotive was the one sent to the USA just before the war as an exhibition piece, and was brought back under the threat of U-Boat attack.

As for your ‘S’ class, I’m afraid that my knowledge of Oz locos is very limited, but do you not still have 02’s still about, are any capable of running, we only have one here.
For the unbielevers, the 02 class was built by the GCR before the First World War and used as a freight loco by the WD on the continent as a replacement loco for those destroyed.
Somehow, some of them ended up in OZ, I don’t know how, and my last recollection is that they had more surviving than we did, ie 1, sad isn’t it.

Sorry Peter I just looked in me Railway magzine and it says a G5 good knows why I said N8 😮

I am now scratching my head to think of a way of keeping this on an aviation thread, all I can think of is that the number of BoB pacifics being brought back from the dead seems to increase every month.

Did GWR name some of there locos from the Battle of Britian?

is bittern back?

Yeah Bittern is back and based on the Mid hants Railway (The Watercress Line) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Bittern_at_ropley_1024_%28JPG%29.jpg

James

i’ve been out of trains for awhile but with 3 a4’s in steam at once is bittern back? if so doe’s she still have the early style wheel covers?.
if they can build all these new build loco’s (a1,saint,paitriot etc) why cant we build one little s class streamliner in victoria?.
paul
ps is duchess of hamilton still getting the streamline treatment?

From photographic evidence the RH&DR armoured train was armed with two Boys Anti-Tank Rifles (.55 calibre) and four Lewis Guns (.303 calibre), two of which were on anti-aircraft mountings.

As I said it is possible that they shot down an enemy aircraft, and I cannot even confirm that this happened, but I still prefer the other version of events.

Maybe somebody can answer this one. It has been claimed that the ‘armoured train’ run on the RH&DR ‘claimed a Messerschmitt’ during the war.

The wonderful story (and it probably is just that) is that the enemy aircraft misjudged its height and crashed while attempting to strafe the ‘small but perfectly formed’ steam locomotive.

Although the ‘armoured train’ was armed with a couple of Lewis guns I doubt that they would have managed to shoot it down but I suppose it is possible.

Go on the RHDR website, look on the history page and you’ll see a wonderful picture of the armoured train, it looks to be more potently equiped than just a few Lewis guns, I haven’t looked further into the incident, but looking at that picture, and it’s only part of the train, I wouldn’t doubt what they could have brought down, especially if it was low flying.

Maybe somebody can answer this one. It has been claimed that the ‘armoured train’ run on the RH&DR ‘claimed a Messerschmitt’ during the war.

The wonderful story (and it probably is just that) is that the enemy aircraft misjudged its height and crashed while attempting to strafe the ‘small but perfectly formed’ steam locomotive.

Although the ‘armoured train’ was armed with a couple of Lewis guns I doubt that they would have managed to shoot it down but I suppose it is possible.

Battle of Britian/West Country Class are my favorite locos one of them being the well know 34067 Tangmere which runs on the main line 😀 . I also cant wait to see Southern Locomotives 34070 Manston which is due to run soon again after overhaul But I think this will also be its first run since the end of BR ?:D Cant wait for Tornado to be on the main line that would be great if an RAF Tonka did a fly past 😀 So now we have an A1 A2 A3 & A4 the whole set 😎 Makes you wonder what other projects can be started to make locos back from the dead I heard there plans to bring back an N8

Its a great year for A1 Tornado & 34070 Manston and any other locos due back this year 😎

James

Sorry, but what is an N8?

Projects I know of are an ex LMS Patriot, GWR Saint, Grange and County, GER 0-4-2, Standard 2-6-2 tank, Standard Clan Pacific ‘Hengist’. Many of these involved are using bits from locos recovered from Barry Scrapyard, for instance the County will have altered GWR Hall frames and an LMS 8F boiler.
Nice one is a reconstruction of LBSCR Atlantic, ‘Beachy Head’, based around an original boiler found while demolishing an old paper works just down the road from where I live.
I am now scratching my head to think of a way of keeping this on an aviation thread, all I can think of is that the number of BoB pacifics being brought back from the dead seems to increase every month.

Several members of the “Battle of Britain” class have been preserved, and are either running, or under restoration. You can see a few of them here

Battle of Britian/West Country Class are my favorite locos one of them being the well know 34067 Tangmere which runs on the main line 😀 . I also cant wait to see Southern Locomotives 34070 Manston which is due to run soon again after overhaul But I think this will also be its first run since the end of BR ?:D Cant wait for Tornado to be on the main line that would be great if an RAF Tonka did a fly past 😀 So now we have an A1 A2 A3 & A4 the whole set 😎 Makes you wonder what other projects can be started to make locos back from the dead I heard there plans to bring back an N8

Its a great year for A1 Tornado & 34070 Manston and any other locos due back this year 😎

James

I’ve heard it’s either going to be another A-1 or possibly even 2-8-2 ‘**** of the North’, it could even be 2 of these monsters, unlikely though.
Plenty of A4’s about, to see 3 in action together for the first time since 1966, go to the North Yorks Moors railway, end of March, beginning of April, they have a nice long train of LNER teak coaches too.
To see 4 A4’s together, including Mallard, go to the Fest at York NRM at the end of May, beginning of June, you will also see Tornado and A2 Blue Peter, unfortunately Flying Scotsman is in bits so there won’t be an opportunity to see all the major ECML pacifics in steam together for the first time in over 40 years.
To keep this on an aviation footing, a GWR 0-6-0 Pannier tank will be running a steam special from Tyseley, via Birmingham to the Cosford Airshow on June 1st, the last time they’ll use Dakotas, but using even older steam locos, and probably more temperamental too, on the national network doesn’t seem to be a problem with the powers that be. The thought of using BoB Pacifics on specials to Legends sounds a good idea to me, could be well patronised, theres no steam ban on the line from Liverpool Street.

Silly editing again, for **** read C@ck, thats the nearest I can get.

Thanks SO much for the info Pete, Going to have to be in York at the end of may then!

Thanks for the info, Pete, the GCR is now on the list to visit on my next trip to the UK! I presume that Tornado will still be there around the time of Legends, as the schedule to start main line running is not until September.

Not sure about that, if Tornado is due to appear at York at the end of May, beginning of June, and has succesfully run it’s trials, it could go anywhere, possibly NYMR, finding out details of events on railway websites is like banging your head on the wall.
I might have to make an excuse to visit my mother during the trials, the GCR is the only mainline double track preserved railway in the country, hence it’s ability to be used for high speed testing, not that the public is supposed to be allowed access though, Health and Safety, but plenty of public bridges.

Actually, I think Tornado should be at Legends, they used to have that little tank engine from Singapore, the one with Japanese bullet holes, sitting on a piece of track outside the AAM. One great big Pacific sitting on a piece of track in the same place sounds a great idea, it’s been done before with the regular appearance of Flying Scotsman at a local traction engine rally near Buxton, pair it up with a parked up GR4, not exactly TFC, but loads of publicity for all concerned.
Airshow organisers take note.

No need for new A-4s, as well as Mallard at the NRM there are now three currently in steam, with a plan for all four of them to meet up later this year!

Thanks for the photos and update. I too have followed this project from day one, and am highly impressed by what has been achieved. Didn’t know about the potential attempt on Mallard’s record, though.

As the new high speed line to the Channel Tunnel is not running to full capacity yet, ie, the Javelins won’t be running for a while, the authorities seem to be quite keen on a record attempt while there is plenty of pathing, all good for publicity isn’t it.
Presumably, as Tornado is brand new with a few modern tweaks to the original design as well, it would have to be your boy, only 126mph to beat, hopefully the escorting Tonkas could keep up.

THats incredible!!- PLEASE tell me they’re going to do an A-4 for their next trick??

I’ve heard it’s either going to be another A-1 or possibly even 2-8-2 ‘**** of the North’, it could even be 2 of these monsters, unlikely though.
Plenty of A4’s about, to see 3 in action together for the first time since 1966, go to the North Yorks Moors railway, end of March, beginning of April, they have a nice long train of LNER teak coaches too.
To see 4 A4’s together, including Mallard, go to the Fest at York NRM at the end of May, beginning of June, you will also see Tornado and A2 Blue Peter, unfortunately Flying Scotsman is in bits so there won’t be an opportunity to see all the major ECML pacifics in steam together for the first time in over 40 years.
To keep this on an aviation footing, a GWR 0-6-0 Pannier tank will be running a steam special from Tyseley, via Birmingham to the Cosford Airshow on June 1st, the last time they’ll use Dakotas, but using even older steam locos, and probably more temperamental too, on the national network doesn’t seem to be a problem with the powers that be. The thought of using BoB Pacifics on specials to Legends sounds a good idea to me, could be well patronised, theres no steam ban on the line from Liverpool Street.

Silly editing again, for **** read C@ck, thats the nearest I can get.

Thanks for the info, Pete, the GCR is now on the list to visit on my next trip to the UK! I presume that Tornado will still be there around the time of Legends, as the schedule to start main line running is not until September.

A-4?

No need for new A-4s, as well as Mallard at the NRM there are now three currently in steam, with a plan for all four of them to meet up later this year!

Thanks for the photos and update. I too have followed this project from day one, and am highly impressed by what has been achieved. Didn’t know about the potential attempt on Mallard’s record, though.

THats incredible!!- PLEASE tell me they’re going to do an A-4 for their next trick??