A1 Locomotive Tornado hits 100MPH

[tris]

Not the best footage as it was done in the middle of the night today , but impressive none the less

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbbIhZAkpiU

Tornado is a new (2008) A1 steam loco mainly used for enthusiast runs.

The 100 MPH target was set so she can run on the main lines without impeding normal traffic

https://www.a1steam.com/2017/04/12/new-steam-locomotive-tornado-reaches-100mph-successful-testing-higher-speed-operations/

[oldbike54]

 Thanks Tris , although 100 MPH isn't record breaking . Early 20th century England , Germany , and even the U.S. had a nice little competition for who had the fastest locomotives .

 Dusty

[fotoguzzi]

Pretty cool, thanks for posting.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Amazing... building a new old steam locomotive from scratch! Shame that none of the originals was saved, would have been a lot less work to restore one.

[tris]

Dusty, it's not and wasn't intend as a record run.

The issue the operators have was that when she first started running she would do London to Newcastle (IIRC) in 4 hours so a nice trip (4 hours up, 4 hours in town, 4 hours back)

Now it takes her 5 1/2 hours as she has to keep pulling over to give way the increased "normal" traffic.

If she can be certified to 90 plus she wont need to

ACC
True but she's "new and improved" For example she runs on roller bearings where the originals didn't I believe

https://www.p2steam.com/design/

[twowings]

Sweet! She scoots right along, doesn't she?

I think the limiting factor for locos is keeping them on the tracks in turns...flanged wheels only go so far...wonderful to see live steam in action!

[Demar]

The Flying Scotsman.... the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100mph, set in 1934.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A3_4472_Flying_Scotsman

[tris]

Here's what BBC Yorkshire TV had to say   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ayS3AT7nA

Steam locos on the UK mainlines have to have diesel back up attached to the train, so she did 100 MPH while pulling an additional 80/90 tonnes of diesel loco at the back

AFAIK, she's the only steam loco in the world currently running that can do the ton

[Penderic]

Great topic!    Choo! Choo!




Many times I have ridden next to tracks and trains, usually the big diesel electric freight types.


Whats the longest train you have seen?

[oldbike54]

 Tris , it's not that the feat isn't cool , my comment was in reference to the headline claiming this is record breaking . We see this kind of half truth so much now , stuff like

                                       Man walks across England
                                      Breaks 100 year old record

 A Doncaster man walks across England in 2 weeks , a trip that normally takes 3 weeks,  visits 20 inns and drinks 25 different kinds of local beers . Amazing .

 Except no records were broken . Sorry , this kind of thing has become way too common. The steam locomotive story is very cool , and the engineers of both types involved are to be congratulated , the reporter needs to go back to school .

 Dusty

[Rough Edge racing]

  According to this the first 100 MPH steam locomotive was in NY around 1900.......I suppose it all depends on who was watching the mile markers fly by while keeping and eye on the stop watch...

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_and_Hudson_River_Railroad_No._999

  Steam locomotive are like primal beasts, hissing steam and heat like they are alive.....A tie with the great WW2 piston aircraft for the greatest machines of a past era....
     

[PeteS]

Here's what BBC Yorkshire TV had to say   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ayS3AT7nA

Steam locos on the UK mainlines have to have diesel back up attached to the train, so she did 100 MPH while pulling an additional 80/90 tonnes of diesel loco at the back

AFAIK, she's the only steam loco in the world currently running that can do the ton

True as of today but this one is currently being shopped. Capable of 120 MPH.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_844



Pete

[wymple]

My Dad was a Santa Fe crane man for 43 years, and I grew up less than 150 feet from my bedroom to the tracks that ran by our house in Ft. Madison, Iowa. Every day a few times these behemoths went by at speeds of around 70. They were just starting to slow down for the station a couple miles further up the line. At some point in the late 50's it changed to the sleek diesel Zephyr flying by. Ft. Madison has one on display at the uptown station area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSMFORFA_jU