There is a lesson to be learnt here, folks…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8428097.stm
When all else fails, fall back on steam technology. 
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Terry, correct me if I am wrong but the Loco is coal fired? one way to save electricty! And she was built with modern materials like roller bearing etc.? While they are maintance intensive they do save on energy. Not a bad way to go. And it is fun to poke the electric guys in the eye!
Paul
E. Paul Austin said:
Terry, correct me if I am wrong but the Loco is coal fired? one way to save electricty! And she was built with modern materials like roller bearing etc.? While they are maintance intensive they do save on energy. Not a bad way to go. And it is fun to poke the electric guys in the eye!Paul
Dear E. - of course, this loco is coal-fired - there never was any other form of firing a steam loco in the UK, not with OUR coal reserves and no oil known about at the time that we had steam-powered trains.
But no, Tornado was built using modern materials, but not any substantial changes to the original design, AFAIK. True the draughting was improved, as were the valve events, thanks to flow mechanics math and computers, but the basic loco would have been instantly recognisable to anybody who had built the original A1 Pacifics.
Have a great Christmas!!
Best
tac
www.ovgrs.org
tac,
Should I send over some good Pennsylvania anthracite coal for him to run?
Let me know?
TAC that is great story and yes a good lesson that electric railroads might be wise to retain a few locomotives that use alternative forms of energy - diesel and steam. For the UK, I suppose coal is more readily available than oil. Strategically, coal burners would be more self-sufficient than depending on imported diesel fuel. And modern technology might be used to reduce ash and pollution from coal burners.
Warms the cockles of my heart!
In the mid 80’s my rail-fan roommate told me that near rivers railroads still kept steam locos on hand 'cause they could go through deeper water than a diesel. Don’t know if that’s still so.
Tom, it’s true - the fact is that diesel locos are, of course, electrically driven - the diesel engine only drives generators to make the electricity. Each axle has its own traction motor, and are obviously very low-slung for a number of reasons, and would short out in any depth of water. The steam locomotive could run, in theory, as deep as the fire-box…
As for oil-fired steam engines, it never happened here because even when we found oil in the north sea, it is not suitable for using as fuel. AAMOF, I still don’t know WHAT use they put it to.
We actually run it on coal from one of the very few Welsh pits still operating - it exists solely to provide coal for our more than 3000 preserved steam locos here in UK.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Try doing this with electric power through the rails.
Great stuff ! Thanks for posting . . . 
The Austrian and Swiss have no trouble at all running in snow with their electrics.
Perhaps France and GB need to adopt some of their technology.
(Not talking about snow on rails, but snow in the electronics, as what happened to the Chunnel trains.)