The Brits are back in business

If you can get past Mark you can see it running live on the Railway Channel.
Noel

I believe this should read "first standard gauge locomotive built". Hasn't the Ffestiniog built a couple of narrow gauge locos in recent history?

Bruce, I think those were technically "rebuilds" - they used a few scavenged parts from the originals to get around more recent regulations that would have made building a historically correct loco impossible.

I believe "Shop Services" of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa built at least 3 "New" narrow gauge steam locomtives in the late 1980's and '90's for an amusmement park (Six Flags?).

And don't forget the standard gauge 4-4-0's built for the National Park Service for the Golden Spike site in the mid-70's.

Bruce, I think those were technically "rebuilds" - they used a few scavenged parts from the originals to get around more recent regulations that would have made building a historically correct loco impossible.


Not entirely true -- the single Fairlie "Taliesin" was a technical rebuild as described, but the double Fairlie "David Lloyd George" was built from scratch by Boston Lodge; it was completed in 1992.

Hi,

There are several videos on You Tube of Tornado both by itself & with a couple of trains in tow.

Here is one to get you started -

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OutpcHQwm6I

There has been a GWR broad gauge locomotive replica or two built in the last couple of decades, and in standard gauge there have been replicas of the Rocket and several other early locomotives as well. However, what the A1 folks are actually claiming is to be the first new steam locomotive built for mainline service in Britain since Evening Star in 1962.

One thing that's kind of interesting about the Tornado, it has taken 18 years to build her, but the originals only lasted about 16 years in service, so not only is she the newest member of the A1 class, in some ways she's also the oldest!

I like how this steam engine has the name of a website on the side of its tender: steam for the 21st century!

Richard Jenkins mentions "main line" in his last post. That is correct it will be used on the mainline no doubt. There is the mention of rebuilds, well here is a link to one.

http://www.bodminandwenfordrailway.co.uk/steamlocos/4612.html

It is going to be a great looking locomotive, once they paint over the primer.

I happen to like the color scheme....reminds me of the WWII German Zuper Pacifics....

Is Gray (or grey, haha!) the final color? Is there a story behind the choice of that color? Or is that just primer gray waiting on the eBay or Google sponsorship deal to come through...

The grey is supposed to represent the "photographic grey" or "works grey" that was commonly used for builder's photos back in the day. As I understand it, the plan is to paint her in LNER apple green with the early "BRITISH RAILWAYS" lettering on the tender sometime in November, after her trial runs are completed.