http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-eng...h-yorkshire-38957943
The recently-built Tornado is running regularly scheduled passenger service for the next few days on the historic Settle to Carlisle line in the UK!
Quite amazing!
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Amtrak, what are you waiting for ?
Kent Loudon posted:Amtrak, what are you waiting for ?
Seriously?
Amtrak has enough problems keeping it's funding and a steam locomotive's not going to help.
Rusty
That's great news. I always liked Tornado. That line is beautiful. Does anyone know who used to own it? LNER? GWR? LMS?
Rusty Traque posted:Kent Loudon posted:Amtrak, what are you waiting for ?
Seriously?
Amtrak has enough problems keeping it's funding and a steam locomotive's not going to help.
Rusty
Why not? It just might attract some ridership.
I was being sarcastic!
It appears that Tornado was operating tender first at track speed. I can't imagine any US road allowing that.
Dear Joe and others,
The Tornado was built in 2008 via a huge fund raising effort across the United Kingdom. The design was based on the LNER A-1 Peppercorn class 4-6-2.
Similar efforts are underway to produce a PRR T-1.
John P. Dunn Sr.
It's a former LMS (London Midland & Scottish) line, originally built by the Midland.
BTW, this may the first time this line has had scheduled steam, but I think British Rail (or whatever it's called now) has run steam on regular passenger trains on the Ft.William to Mallaig line a number of times in the past - usually they do it for a week or two during the summer?
No reason you couldn't do it here. Amtrak would not have to buy steam - British Rail doesn't own Tornado, it's just some type of loan / lease whatever. Anyway, it would be fun to see the Empire Builder being pulled from the Twin Cities to Chicago and back for a few days with Milwaukee 261 for example. Think of the publicity it would generate - worldwide!
In the UK they ended the nationalization of the railways by dividing up the equipment/right of way. The government owns and maintains the tracks and infrastructure just like we do here with the highways. Anyone can apply to operate over the tracks just like you can drive your car or truck on the highways subject to regulations of course. That's why you see so many more steam operations there.
Scotie posted:In the UK they ended the nationalization of the railways by dividing up the equipment/right of way. The government owns and maintains the tracks and infrastructure just like we do here with the highways. Anyone can apply to operate over the tracks just like you can drive your car or truck on the highways subject to regulations of course. That's why you see so many more steam operations there.
Plus, their society is not near as litigious as ours!
What are the regulations regarding steam power? Do they have anything similar to our 1472-day/15 year teardown requirement?
How about Canada?
Kent Loudon posted:What are the regulations regarding steam power? Do they have anything similar to our 1472-day/15 year teardown requirement?
Pretty close, yes.
How about Canada?
Canada is pretty much the same as the FRA in the U.S.
In the UK, they have a very similar requirement to the FRA teardown. I believe they call it a "boiler ticket", and I've heard any timeframe from 10 to 15 year periods.
From film and video I've seen, the process for inspection and all is very similar if not exact to what is done here to certify it safe to be put back into service.
Eddie Marra posted:In the UK, they have a very similar requirement to the FRA teardown. I believe they call it a "boiler ticket", and I've heard any timeframe from 10 to 15 year periods.
From film and video I've seen, the process for inspection and all is very similar if not exact to what is done here to certify it safe to be put back into service.
Plus, in order to satisfy the British Rail performance & reliability standards, each steam locomotive, that desires certification for main line operations, MUST complete a certain number of "trouble free" trips, with an appropriate train, at MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TRACK SPEED. Thus, the Tornado has had to make quite a number of SUSTAINED trips at 90 MPH, in order to satisfy BR.
Hot Water posted:Scotie posted:In the UK they ended the nationalization of the railways by dividing up the equipment/right of way. The government owns and maintains the tracks and infrastructure just like we do here with the highways. Anyone can apply to operate over the tracks just like you can drive your car or truck on the highways subject to regulations of course. That's why you see so many more steam operations there.
Plus, their society is not near as litigious as ours!
Oh yes it is!
The Settle and Carlisle line was an extraordinarily expensive venture built by the Midland Railway to compete for traffic between England and Scotland via Carlisle. In a sense it was similar to the ill fated USA venture of the Milwaukee Road's Pacific extension.
The London & Northwestern had a much more favorable route along the west coast and served Manchester as well. I've always felt that the L&NW was the British equivalent of the Pennsylvania RR.
In any event, in 1923 the railways of the UK were rationalized and 4 great systems were created--LMS, Great Western, London & Northeastern and the Southern.
The LMS included the old L&NW and Midland. Following the merger, the Settle and Carlisle became a secondary main line and over time lost most of what little traffic it had. There were several attempts to abandon some or all of it but they failed. Because of its fierce grades and tunnels it has always been a railfan's favorite.
Lew Schneider
Cool. Makes me wonder if the Hudson Steam project is still going to be motivated by this?
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Cool. Makes me wonder if the Hudson Steam project is still going to be motivated by this?
What "Hudson Steam project"?
Hot Water posted:Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Cool. Makes me wonder if the Hudson Steam project is still going to be motivated by this?
What "Hudson Steam project"?
Exactly what it sounds like. Right around the same time frame the Tornado was being built(1994-2008) a group was formed with the idea of making a new Hudson Steam Locomotive. I can't remember if the group has gone through different names or titles, but do remember seeing a message board or forum where they had been discussing things. I do know that at some point in time after the Tornado was built, that someone had suggested that perhaps the builders could do a Hudson if they were given all the specs and such as well as the money to build it. Most of everything I have heard about the Hudson group seems to be stuck with planning and no real action(not sure if it is because of the money needed to be raised, or other things).
