Boiler cracks derail steam locomotive

A MODERN steam locomotive is out of action after less than three years of service because of cracks in its boiler.

The 3m Tornado, based in York, was commissioned by steam enthusiasts in the style of a classic of the 1940s, the A1 series, which ran on until steam power was retired at the end of the 1960s.

The latest in the series was commissioned by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, which spent 18 years raising funds, and was delivered in 2008.

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Although not exactly a replica because of modern railway needs, it was built as closely as possible to the original A1 plans.

The cracks in its firebox were discovered during routine maintenance this winter and the boiler has now been detached and sent back to its makers, DB Meiningen, in Germany.

Trust chairman Mark Allatt, said yesterday: "Although disappointing, these problems are part of learning about the locomotive in today's operational environment.

"In the old days, the A1 would have stayed hot for weeks at a time.

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"In today's heritage business, the Tornado is probably in service 80 times a year and that means it has already been through more thermic cycles than the original locomotives would have experienced between overhauls. It is the cooling and reheating which really stresses the metal."

For news on the Tornado's progress, see www.A1steam.com.

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