A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

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The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is a Darlington, English based charitable trust formed in 1990 for the primary purpose of completing the next stage of the locomotive heritage movement, the building a new steam locomotive. This project became the construction of 60163 Tornado, carried out by Locomotive Construction Co Ltd[1], 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[2], to use professionals in their fields for the various posts needed[2], and to use the engineering industry for all manufacturing to meet the needs of certification[2].

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[3]. Some of the sums raised by covenanting were "unheard of" from railway enthusiasts[4].

Contents

[edit] 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[5]. The trust was formally launched on 17 November 1990[2], 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[1], 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[1]. This was required to take advantage of the tax-efficiency of covenants[1].

The trust held it's first of what would become annual conventions, at a Doncaster school on 17 September 1994, attended by 210 people[6]. The trust went online in the Autumn of 1996[6], and revamped their website in 2008.

The trust had a major crisis[4] 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[7], although the crisis was estimated to have cost £31,500 in lost income[8], £150,000 in management time[8], and a 5 figure sum for an independant engineering survey[8]. In addition, it was estimated to have put back the completion date for Tornado by 2 years[8].

[edit] Tornado Project

The Tornado project aimed to complete the task of building the locomotive from scratch, with no recovered/restored parts, a feat never achieved in the preservation movement before[5], and not completed in Britain for a main line locomotive since 1960[5]. This was considered by the trust to be the next logical step in the steam heritage movement, after the restoration of Standard 8P Pacific No.71000 Duke of Gloucester, which due to its final state, had involved building a large quanitity of new parts[5].

Building an A1 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 Pacifics, Class 40s and Deltics, and more modern examples[5].

The original target date for completion was 27 September 2007, the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway[5], at a projected cost of £1.6m, with construction taking 10 years[5]. With inflation and material cost increases, the actual spend has increased to £3m[5].

The trust has financed the Tornado project with a system of regular and one off covenants and industrial sponsorship[5], 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[5]. The trust has also issued bonds to investors in return for financial contributions. Bond holders in return receive interest, and a repayment of the bond on maturity[9]. By 2005 the trust's monthly income was over £10,000[10] and rising.

[edit] Premises

In 1993 the trust signed an agreement with Doncaster council to build Tornado at an unspecified site in the town[1]. The agreement with Darlington council later broke down, so it was decided to begin construction at Tyseley Locomotive Works, beginning in 1995[6].

In 1995, Darlington borough council offered the trust use of the Hopetown Carriage Works, at an appropriately named Peppercorn rent[6]. The trust named the Hopetown site as the Darlington Locomotive Works[6]. The renovation of the building was assisted with £300,000 in European, National and local grants[6].

After 9 months of conversion work[6], the Hopetown facility opened and became the Trust's centre of operations. This was timed in conjunction with the trust's 4th annual convention[3], with Tornado unveiled at the facility, having arrived from Tyseley 2 days earlier[3]. A £10,000 grant from Darlington borough council also allowed the purchase of a 5 tonne crane and 4 hydraulic jacks[11].

[edit] Personel

Honorary Officers of the Trust include its President, Mrs. Dorothy Mather (widow of the designer of the A1s Mr. A. H. Peppercorn) and the Vice President, Mr. Peter Townend, former Shed Master of the London Kings Cross Top Shed[12], where his work brought him into constant contact with Peppercorn Class A1s in their running days.

Trust member Geoff Drury, who died in October 1999[3], was the previous owner of Blue Peter[6] and had also saved Gresley A4 Bittern[3], and the only other preserved Peppercorn Pacific[3]. 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[5][3][13].

On 15 July 2000, chairmanship of the trust changed due to the ill health of the incumbent's wife, transferring to the marketing director[4].

[edit] Other projects

[edit] 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[12]. In 1992, No. 5332 was acquired, one of the LNER's original ten 1928 corridor tenders[1]. The tank was removed and the frames stripped in Morpeth[1]. 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[3]. This sale to Flying Scotsman Railways was completed in early 2000[11].

[edit] Other contracts

In 2000 the subsidiary company had sufficient capacity to accept an external order[11]. This was an auxiliary tender chassis for Standard Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester[11]. This was to be the only external order as of 2008, due to the move in 2001 by Darlington bc to move the North Eastern Locmotive Preservation Group into the unrefurbished north end of the site, meaning the trust consolidated in the south[4] and decided not to accept nay more external work[4].

[edit] 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 their could be a genuine possibility of a second locomotive being built[3]. Subsequent delays and rising costs mean 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[11]. Lack of financial and project control were believed to be the difference between the trust and these other projects[11].

After construction of Tornado, £800,000 will still be required to service loans and bond issues[9][5].

[edit] References

[5] [2] [12] [1] [6] [3] [11] [4] [7] [8] [13] [10] [14] [9]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 17
  2. ^ a b c d e The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 15
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 19
  4. ^ a b c d e f The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 29
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 14
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 18
  7. ^ a b The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 30
  8. ^ a b c d e The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 31
  9. ^ a b c The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 35
  10. ^ a b The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 33
  11. ^ a b c d e f g The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 28
  12. ^ a b c The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 1, April 2008, page 16
  13. ^ a b The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 32
  14. ^ The Railway Magazine, The Tornado Story Part 2, May 2008, page 34

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