VETERAN Doncaster railways fitter Ron Smelt is steaming mad enough to travel thousands of miles to indulge his favourite hobby this year alone.
Ron is thought to be the only engineer to have played a hands-on role in building the newly-built steam locomotive Tornado who worked on them in Doncaster when they were still operating for British Railways in the 1950s.
And over the last 12 month
s alone he has travelled far enough to have crossed the Atlantic commuting between his Doncaster home and the Darlington factory where the new engine was made.
The 71-year-old, from Roxby Close, Bessacarr, is part of a team of volunteers who organised themselves into a group called The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to build the A1 class locomotive called Tornado.
The group began in 1990 and Ron joined in 1995, helping build what is the first new steam locomotive in 50 years. It visited Doncaster for the first time this month, on its first trip taking fare paying passengers.
Ron is delighted to have taken part in a scheme which has seen the memories flood back from his time working at the former Doncaster Plantworks at Crimpsall, near Hexthorpe.
He got a job on the railways straight from school and worked in the plant from 1952 until 1958 and had not forgotten the job.
Ron said: "I'm the only bloke from Doncaster who has been working on the engine. I was an apprentice at the plantworks when they were still making steam engines there. I was the only one in that workshop in Darlington where they made Tornado that had worked on one of the A1s before.
"I was repairing them the first time round, and the new one is exactly the same, except it is more correct than the olds ones.
"There are a lot of improvements that the old ones didn't have, like roller bearings.
"I was there when they cut out the frames, and when we bolted in the first cylinders, and I was fitting the valves and pistons.
"It has brought the memories flooding back. It has been wonderful to work on."
Ron has been involved in the project for more than 10 years and says he has travelled to Darlington and back at least 20 times in the last year alone - which involves a 144-mile round trip, not far short of 3,000 miles over the 12 month period.
A true railwayman, he has made the trip by train each time, although he regrets the scheme was not carried out in Doncaster as had been originally planned.
Ron believes Doncaster has failed to hold on to its railway heritage in the way many other former railway towns have.
Meanwhile, it has been announced the locomotive will be named by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in a ceremony next week at York Railway Station.
During the naming ceremony TRH will meet former Doncaster woman Dorothy Mather, the President of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and widow of Arthur Peppercorn – the designer of the original A1 class steam engine, who was based in Doncaster.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said: "The Trust and all of its supporters are deeply honoured that their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will be naming Tornado.
"This honour is the ultimate recognition of the shared vision and determination of all of those who worked so hard over 19 years to bring Tornado into being."
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