Big blue engine...

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

Friday afternoon greetings peeps..

I'm trying to get the flicker account up and running so I can post some images here when I want & in the way I want etc. Anyway here's a tester for you, from last month when my best mate Mike took me and my Mrs for a Sunday jaunt round Central scotland on a steam special puled by Tornado, with Sunday lunch all included. We did pay our way, it was his invite though



She happened to take us through my old home town of Alloa too, first time I've gone through there on a train. The line was closed the year I was born and only reopened 5 years ago, so was well worth the cost of the trip for the chance to go through the town again.

A loverly machine she was, cracking bit of Classic British engineering and not a simulator, the real deal, soot & all

Cheers

[NigelC]

Nice!!

[Harry Basset]

When I was at grammar school I used to get told off for watching the Thames- Clyde express charge past my classroom in the 1950s. When I grew up? I became involved in steam loco preservation and restoration and the group took on the overhaul of Blue Peter an A2 pacific similar to the A1 Tornado but having smaller driving wheels and painted green. One of our first runs with Blue Peter included a run past my old school and I was allowed on the footplate as owners representative to finally experience seeing my old school from an express loco working hard. I must have had coal dust in both eyes for several miles afterwards.

[emfrat]

I used to go to school in Dundee, travelling by train from Perth to Dundee (Tay Bridge). This took us past the Caley sheds, which by then was the DMU depot, and the old NB shed. Every so often, there was a shiny clean 'namer' outside the NB shed, but it always turned out to be 60532, except for some very rare occasions when it was Sayajirao or Tudor Minstrel. Sad times
MikeW

[cstorey]

It's Gordon the Blue Engine ! Couldn't have been more appropriate

[Airspeed]

It's Gordon the Blue Engine ! Couldn't have been more appropriate

That's what's special about this forum-the degree of expertise on hand!
Good to read and see all above posts & pic.
Wonderful story. Did you get the coal dust in your eyes from chucking lumps of it at your old teacher, or were all the lumps in your throat?

We used to stand on the bridge near our grammar school, and enjoy being enveloped in clouds of smoke/steam. Never COUGH seemed COUGH to COUGH affect COUGH us COUGH badly COUGH though.

[Tomliner]

Gordon,she is a real beauty.When she last passed through Edinburgh in June,as was away on holiday so missed her.However a couple of years ago,having brought another tour up from London,she did a circular day tour from Edinburgh to Newcastle,Carlisle and back via the Shotts route.A mate of mine and I went on this trip and although it was November it was a beautiful day.Tornado was still in her green livery at the time.
After a couple of hours in Carlisle we set off back to Edinburgh and by now it was dark.Anyone who knows the area will know that at times the line and the M74 run very close together and as Tornado was working hard to pull the train up to Beattock summit,the looks on the faces of folks in the cars was a picture.What a sight she must have made.
For anyone that doesn't know,Tornado isn't a rebuild or renovated,she was built from scratch by a team,in Darlington I think,and took 18 years to complete at a cost of about £3.5millon.Now that's dedication!AFAIK she is capable of speeds in excess of 100mph but is limited by Network Rail to 75mph.
If you get the chance to see her in your locality,do so.You won't regret it.
As mentioned earlier by Ian,details of all UK steam tours can be found at www.uksteam.info/index.htm or for Tornado specifically Google Steam Dreams or Cathedrals Express. EricT

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

It's Gordon the Blue Engine ! Couldn't have been more appropriate

Might have known someone'd notice that, not my fault they painted her blue

Not sure if I liked that colour too much, its OK but she'd be better on the later BR Green or the old LNER Apple Green Colours, but that's my humble opinion only


Coal dust is an occupational hazard when near steam trains Airspeed

What I'm waiting for now is that the same team are looking to build a Class P2 2-8-2 steam locomotive which was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for working heavy express trains over the harsh Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line.

They then hope to then run her on said Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line as often as they can if possible, which happens to go right past my front garden
Can you tell I'm excited?

[Tomliner]

go right past my front garden
Can you tell I'm excited?

Not really Gordon.Can you be a bit more expressive?
It would be great to see another loco brought back into service but I expect that it will be another long term project. EricT

[Airspeed]

Sorry, Gordon, that "dust in the eyes" comment was for Harry; I should have been more specific.