| A relatively well-known project took place in England to build a full-size replica
steam locomotive. English rail enthusiasts have
worked miracles over the past few years with some
apparently hopeless steam restoration projects.
New driving wheels have been cast for engines,
motion work has been replicated, and new boilers
have been fabricated. One of most amazing
restorations was the rebuilding of the 4-6-2 no.
71000, "Duke of Gloucester", which
required the fabrication of 3 new cylinders, Caprotti poppet valve gear, and rods. 
The A1
Inspired by the Herculean efforts of their
predecessors, a group was formed in England who
wished to build a new steam locomotive from
scratch. While many British steamers were
preserved, one particularly successful group of
4-6-2's were all scrapped, the "A-1"
class designed by Arthur Peppercorn in 1948. This
design was chosen as the basis for the new
locomotive and the group became known as the
A-1 Trust. Construction took place
in the city of Darlington, and the locomotive was named Tornado,
and numbered
61063. The original planned date was 27
September 2000. The project took a bit longer than expected,
with the locomotive being completed in 2008. The
locomotive entered excursion service in early 2009, and was
officially named by Prince Charles. See The
A1 Steam Locomotive Trust page for more
information.
Apparently never one to miss an opportunity,
Ing. L. D. Porta developed and submitted an
incredibly detailed ~150 page proposal for
improvements to the A-1 which would dramatically
increase its efficiency and performance while
maintaining the "stock" appearance
desired by preservationists. His suggestions
included modifications to the inside cylinder
arrangement, provision of a gas producer
combustion system, enlarged combustion chamber,
increased boiler pressure, equalizers for the
axles (a common feature in many countries but
rare in Great Britain), and an advanced "Lemprex"
exhaust system. Numerous other detail
improvements were included as well, showing that
Porta had devoted considerable time to the study of the design
of this locomotive. While the A-1 Trust had already incorporated
some of his suggestions (all-welded boiler, increased superheat,
roller bearings, enlarged steam passages, and improved valves)
they were hesitant to make some of the more radical changes to
the design.
The locomotive was completed in 2008 and entered regular
excursion service in early 2009.
|
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