A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
Encyclopedia
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
based charitable trust
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
formed in 1990 for the primary purpose of completing the next stage of the locomotive heritage movement, the building a new steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. This project became the construction of 60163 Tornado
LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado
60163 Tornado is a main-line steam locomotive built in Darlington, England. Completed in 2008, Tornado was the first such locomotive built in the United Kingdom since Evening Star, the last steam locomotive built by British Railways, in 1960...
, carried out by Locomotive Construction Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the A1 Trust. After over 15 years of fundraising and construction, Tornado steamed for the first time in January 2008.
In contrast to various other heritage projects, with an eye to timely completion and full certification for main line use, the founding principles of the A1 trust were to treat funding as a priority and not a distraction, to use professionals in their fields for the various posts needed, and to use the engineering industry for all manufacturing to meet the needs of certification.
By October 1999, the trust had the largest numbers of supporters of any British locomotive owning group, and represented a 20th of all railway heritage group membership. Some of the sums raised by covenanting were "unheard of" from railway enthusiasts.
History
The trust had its origins in an informal discussion in Darlington on 24 March 1990, discussing the feasibility of the project, followed by the first announced public meeting on 28 April that year, chaired by the first chairman, Mike Wilson. The trust was formally launched on 17 November 1990, to a meeting at The Railway Institute in York, followed by further presentations in London and Edinburgh.In Spring 1993 the trust formed the Locomotive Construction Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the trust, to build Tornado. In Summer 1993 the trust became the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. This was required to take advantage of the tax-efficiency of covenants.
The trust held the first of what would become annual conventions at a Doncaster school on 17 September 1994, attended by 210 people. The trust went online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
in the Autumn of 1996, and revamped their website in 2008.
The trust had a major crisis in 2001 when a volunteer made several allegations to covenantors regarding defects, over several months. The issue was resolved to the satisfaction of the trust's auditors, VAB and the Charity Commissioners, although the crisis was estimated to have cost £31,500 in lost income, £150,000 in management time, and a 5 figure sum for an independent engineering survey. In addition, it was estimated to have put back the completion date for Tornado by 2 years.
Tornado project
Building an A1, based on the LNER Peppercorn Class A1
LNER Peppercorn Class A1
The London and North Eastern Railway Peppercorn Class A1 is a type of express passenger steam locomotive. Forty-nine original Peppercorn Class A1s were built to the design of Arthur Peppercorn during the early British Railways era, but all were scrapped with the discontinuation of steam,...
would fill the 'missing link' in the otherwise preserved examples of East Coast main line traction, such as the Stirling Single, Ivatt Atlantics, LNER A4, A3 and A2 Pacific
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
s, Class 40s and Deltics, and more modern examples.
The original target date for completion was 27 September 2007, the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
, at a projected cost of £1.6m, with construction taking 10 years. With inflation and material cost increases, the actual spend has increased to £3m.
The trust has financed the Tornado project with a system of regular and one off covenants and industrial sponsorship, as well as negotiating generous terms from several manufacturers. Significant costs were saved in the project by securing parts from companies for free or at significant discount. The trust has also issued bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
to investors in return for financial contributions. Bond holders in return receive interest, and a repayment of the bond on maturity. By 2005 the trust's monthly income was over £10,000 and rising.
Selecting a construction site
The original LNER Doncaster and Darlington works were ultimately self-sufficient, but no comparable locomotive workshops remain in the UK, so that the building of Tornado required the use of a large number of sub-contractors in varying locations, requiring multiple suppliers to build components such as the cylinders. Tornado would then be assembled at a site by the Trust. In Spring 1992 the trust announced that it intended to build Tornado in Britain, and not, as had been suggested, overseas, possibly in Poland, although possibly some parts would need to be built overseas.In 1993 the trust signed an agreement with Doncaster council to build Tornado at an unspecified site in the town. The agreement with Darlington council later broke down, so it was decided to begin construction at Tyseley Locomotive Works, beginning in 1995.
Darlington Locomotive Works
Darlington Works
Darlington railway works, known in the town as North Road Shops, was built in 1863 by the Stockton and Darlington Railway in the town of Darlington in the north east of England.-NER History:The first new locomotive was built at the works in 1864...
. The works occupy the southern half of the former Hopetown Carriage Works
Hopetown Carriage Works
Hopetown Carriage Works, built in 1853 by Joseph Sparkes in Darlington, County Durham), England, was a workshop of the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway, the 1825-63 Stockton and Darlington Railway, and also of the subsequent railway companies into which the SD&R was absorbed....
building, part of the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, also known as Head of Steam, is located on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway which was the world's first steam powered passenger railway. Run by Darlington Borough Council the museum is located in the northern suburbs of Darlington in the...
(Head of Steam), situated alongside Hopetown Lane.
In 1995, Darlington borough council offered the trust use of the Hopetown carriage works, at an appropriately named Peppercorn rent
Peppercorn (legal)
A peppercorn in legal parlance is a metaphor for a very small payment, a nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. "A peppercorn does not cease to be good consideration if it is established that the promisee does not like pepper and will throw...
. The trust named the Hopetown site as the Darlington Locomotive Works. The renovation of the building was assisted with £300,000 in European, National and local grants.
After 9 months of conversion work, the Hopetown facility opened and became the Trust's centre of operations. This was timed in conjunction with the trust's 4th annual convention, with Tornado unveiled at the facility, having arrived from Tyseley 2 days earlier.
North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group
The North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group was formed in 1966 with the intention of preserving some of the steam locomotives then still working on regular goods or passenger trains in North East England ....
into the unrefurbished north end of the carriage works, meaning the trust consolidated in the southern half of the building. As such, the works consist of a space less than 30 metres long by 15 metres wide.
The A1 works are not rail connected. The now disused main line connection of the former carriage works entered from the northern end of the building. A dividing wall was built between the two uses.
The works contained a single ‘road’, a piece of track over an inspection pit allowing work underneath the locomotive. A £10,000 grant from Darlington borough council also allowed the purchase of a 5 tonne crane and 4 hydraulic jacks.
The works also consisted of a specially laid straight piece of track extending the works road for approximately 500 feet out of the works door. This was used to load and unload components from outside, conduct the boiler tests, and eventually conduct the first steam trials of Tornado.
The locomotive was constructed in the works road facing the dividing wall, with the tender frame being delivered outside and wheeled in to mate with the rear of the locomotive.
Personnel
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
Master of the London Kings Cross Top Shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
, where his work brought him into constant contact with Peppercorn Class A1s in their running days.
President Dorothy Mather lit the first fire in Tornado’s firebox, and was on the footplate for the inaugural run at Darlington works, stating "My husband would be proud."
Trust member Geoff Drury, who died in October 1999, was the previous owner of 60532 Blue Peter and had also saved Gresley A4 4464 Bittern
LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern
4464 Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER in 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it was originally numbered 4464. It was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme and after nationalisation in 1948 BR added...
, and the only other preserved Peppercorn Pacific. An attempt had been made by enthusiasts including Geoff Drury to save the last remaining A1 Peppercorn, No. 60145 Saint Mungo, however the locomotive was scrapped in the Autumn of 1966.
On 15 July 2000, chairmanship of the trust changed hands to the marketing director, city director and train enthusiast Mark Allatt, due to the ill health of the incumbent's wife.
Talisman railtours
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
s under The Talisman name, hauled by Duchess of Sutherland
LMS Princess Coronation Class 6233 Duchess of Sutherland
London Midland and Scottish Railway Princess Coronation Class 6233 Duchess of Sutherland is a preserved steam locomotive.- Service :6233 was outshopped in July 1938 from Crewe Works and was part of the third batch of her class...
in 2005, Union of South Africa
LNER Class A4 4488 Union of South Africa
60009 Union of South Africa is an LNER Class A4 steam locomotive built in Doncaster in 1937. Originally named Osprey, it is one of six surviving Gresley A4s and is presently undergoing an extensive overhaul.-Names:...
in 2006, and Bittern
LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern
4464 Bittern is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 steam locomotive. Built for the LNER in 1937 at Doncaster Works as works number 1866, it was originally numbered 4464. It was renumbered 19 on 16 August 1946 under the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme and after nationalisation in 1948 BR added...
in 2008.
Tornado's first public run for passengers was the Talisman on 7 February 2009, from Darlington to London Kings Cross. The trip was watched by thousands of spectators along the line and by a large crowd to greet her at Kings Cross. This was a positioning run for later tours, with the train returning north by diesel.
Flying Scotsman tender
In the autumn of 1991, the trust attempted to buy the frames of the redundant second tender of Flying Scotsman, in order to use its frames for Tornado. In 1992, No. 5332 was acquired, one of the LNER's original ten 1928 corridor tenders. The tank was removed and the frames stripped in Morpeth. In 1998, due to the cost of overhaul, conversion for roller bearings, and the trust's desire to build Tornado out of completely new parts, it was decided to sell the Flying Scotsman tender frame back to its previous owners. This sale to Flying Scotsman Railways was completed in early 2000.Other contracts
In 2000 the subsidiary company had sufficient capacity to accept an external order. This was an auxiliary tender chassis for Standard Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester. This was to be the only external order as of 2008, due to the consolidation of the Trust in the southern half of the Hopetown works building, the Trust decided not to accept any more external work.Support coach
In order to support the mainline operation of Tornado, the Trust purchased a support coach, a British Railways Mark 1British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
Brake First Composite (BCK) type, No. 21249, built at Swindon in 1961. It was purchased from being in storage at the northern half of the GCR
Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre
The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre is a heritage centre based at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, the terminus of the northern section of the Great Central Railway . The site includes locomotive and rolling stock workshops , as well as cafeteria and shops...
at Ruddington
Ruddington railway station
Ruddington is a disused railway station on the Great Central Main Line south of Nottingham.The line had branches that ran to the now decommissioned Ruddington Depot....
. It was described as being in good structural condition despite being out of use for some time, with overhaul estimated to require additional funding of £50,000. It was to be moved to Darlington works in October 2008. It had previously been used on Steam Locomotive Operators' Association (SLOA) pullman
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
trains in the 1980s, and was also at the Telford Steam Railway
Telford Steam Railway
The Telford Steam Railway is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.The railway is operated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holidays from Easter to the end of September, and at Christmas...
and Lavender Line
Lavender Line
The Lavender Line is an informal name for a heritage railway based at Isfield Station, near Uckfield in East Sussex.- History :The Lavender Line formed part of the Lewes to Uckfield Railway when it was opened on the 18 October 1858...
heritage railways.
Future projects
By 1998, with the state of the finances, it was speculated that Tornado could be completed on time, all maintenance costs could be funded, and there could be a genuine possibility of a second locomotive being built. Subsequent delays and rising costs meant this became more unlikely.As of 2000 the trust's chairman had expected other new build projects to have sprung up along the lines of the A1 Trust, however, despite 23 ideas of one form or another, only retro rebuilds such as GWR Saint had occurred. Lack of financial and project control were believed to be the difference between the trust and these other projects.
After construction of Tornado, £800,000 will still be required to service loans and bond issues.
However, on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's You and Yours
You and Yours
You and Yours is a British radio consumer affairs programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.-History:It began broadcasting in October 1970, its first presenter was Joan York. In the great rescheduling of April 1998 it was increased from a 25 minute programme to 55 minutes. In the 1980s it briefly ran...
, current chairman Mark Allatt suggested that a further locomotive could be possible, saying "We've got debts of £832,000, about half of which is a bond issue, and about half again of that is loans from individuals. Our business plan shows that if, as long as we continue with operating the tours we've planned to, and then our covenantors - who have been so generous over so long - stick with us, we can pay that back, and, the quicker we pay that back, the quicker we can start building a new engine".
The A1 Trust is now looking into the possibility of producing a Gresley P2
LNER Class P2
The London and North Eastern Railway Class P2 was a class of 2-8-2 steam locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for working heavy express trains over the harsh Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line...
to be numbered 2007 (the next in sequence). The P2s share around 70% of components used on Tornado. It will be made after the A1 Trust has enough money for Tornado future overhaul and debts repaid. If the P2 cannot be done the Trust will look at another locomotive.
External links
- A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
- The current management team of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
- Photo-Library of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, with pictures of 'historic A1s' and 'Building Tornado'
- Photo-Library of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, with pictures of other types of locomotive, and other railway scenes