Coleg Sir Gâr’s automotive centre in Carmarthen is hosting a specialist presentation being given by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust entitled The Tornado Story: From Dream to Steam.
The £3 million locomotive is the first new main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost 50 years and was named the Tornado by HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall last year. Its
reconstruction started with the discovery of surviving drawings of the Peppercorn class A1 and has since entered service on the Network Rail mail line.
The talk will give details of the level of expertise required for the creation of the locomotive using original engineering drawings and detailing the challenges faced by engineers using parts available today,
compared with those manufactured for the original engines. Set in the college’s brand new centre for automotive engineering at its Pibwrlwyd campus, the event has been organised for members of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), coordinated by Coleg Sir Gâr’s Automotive Engineering team leader and chairman of the IMI Members Association for West Wales, John Morrissey. He said, “We are delighted to welcome The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to Carmarthen. The new automotive centre at the college organises various technical seminars and events for IMI members but we also welcome the general public to these events as well
as specialist engineers or those with an interest in the subject.”
From Dream to Steam will be held at Coleg Sir Gâr’s automotive centre in Pibwrlwyd on 25 March from 6.30 pm for a 7pm start. Contact john.morrissey@colegsirgar.ac.uk or 01554 748270 for further information
Coleg Sir Gar Press release, Monday 1 March 2010
