Darlington Locomotive Works
The majority of Tornado was assembled at the Trust’s Darlington Locomotive Works (54°32′09″N 1°33′24″W / 54.5357062°N 1.5565798°W / 54.5357062; -1.5565798) in the northern suburbs of Darlington, a stone's throw from the original Darlington Works. The works occupy the southern half of the former Hopetown Carriage Works building, part of the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum (Head of Steam), situated alongside Hopetown Lane.
In 1995, Darlington borough council offered the trust use of the Hopetown carriage works, at an appropriately named Peppercorn rent. The trust named the Hopetown site as the Darlington Locomotive Works. The renovation of the building was assisted with £300,000 in European, National and local grants.
After 9 months of conversion work, the Hopetown facility opened and became the Trust's centre of operations. This was timed in conjunction with the trust's 4th annual convention, with Tornado unveiled at the facility, having arrived from Tyseley 2 days earlier.
In 2001, Darlington Borough Council decided to move the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group into the unrefurbished north end of the carriage works, meaning the trust consolidated in the southern half of the building. As such, the works consist of a space less than 30 metres long by 15 metres wide.
The A1 works are not rail connected. The now disused main line connection of the former carriage works entered from the northern end of the building. A dividing wall was built between the two uses.
The works contained a single ‘road’, a piece of track over an inspection pit allowing work underneath the locomotive. A £10,000 grant from Darlington borough council also allowed the purchase of a 5 tonne crane and 4 hydraulic jacks.
The works also consisted of a specially laid straight piece of track extending the works road for approximately 500 feet out of the works door. This was used to load and unload components from outside, conduct the boiler tests, and eventually conduct the first steam trials of Tornado.
The locomotive was constructed in the works road facing the dividing wall, with the tender frame being delivered outside and wheeled in to mate with the rear of the locomotive.
Read more about this topic: A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
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