60163 Tornado

English: 60163 Tornado is a Peppercorn Class A1 4-6-2 ('Pacific') steam locomotive, built from entirely new parts in the 1990s/2000s. She was conceived, designed and built as a fully operational main line locomotive, as the next in class of the original 49 locomotives built in the 1940s for the London and North Eastern Railway to the design of Arthur Peppercorn. As such, she wears the next number in the series, 60163, and is named in honour of the Royal Air Force crews flying the Panavia Tornado jet fighter during the Gulf War of the early 1990s. She first moved under her own steam in August 2008, and now regularly hauls charter trains on the British main line, as well as making appearances at heritage railways and railway museums.

Nameplates

When originally presented in 1995, the locomotive was still under construction, and the nameplates carried the crest of RAF Cottesmore on one, and the insignia of the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment based there on the other. The training establishment closed in 1999, so by the time Tornado was completed, that crest had been replaced with that of RAF Leeming.

RAF Cottesmore crest (starboard side)
RAF Leeming crest (port side)

Main line operation

Cathedrals Express, 9 March 2013

Teignmouth

Royal Train, 23 July 2012

Bishop Auckland

Cathedrals Express, 26 June 2012

Woodley

Cathedrals Express, 31 May 2012

Gisburn

Cathedrals Express, 12 May 2012

Woodley
Swindon

Nene Valley Railway - Barrow Hill, 10 April 2012

Loco and support coach movement

Clay Cross, Derbyshire

Cathedrals Express, 26 November 2011

near Abergavenny

The Caledonian Tornado, 21 September 2011

Crewe to Glasgow and back

Glasgow

Carlisle

Southall - Barrow Hill, 16 September 2011

Loco and support coach movement

Clay Cross, Derbyshire

Cathedrals Express, 15 September 2011

Woking-Redhill-W Hampstead-Lincoln and back

East Croydon
East Croydon
Sleaford station

Cathedrals Express, 17 August 2011

Dorchester South station

Torbay Express

10 July

Broadsands Viaduct, Dartmouth Steam Railway (engine only)

3 July

Kingswear (Dartmouth Steam Railway)
shunting at Hoodown sidings, Kingswear
departing Kingswear

The Canterbury Tornado, 18 June 2011

Headcorn

Cathedrals Express, 11 December 2010

WCML: Euston - Chester - Euston

Milton Keynes Central station (outbound)

The Christmas Coronation, 20 November 2010

Day 3 of a 3 day tour (Day 1 being Kings Cross to Edinburgh, Day 2 a circular tour out of Edinburgh). Day 3 was originally planned as a trip from Edinburgh-Euston, but it terminated at Rugby due to poor steaming

Warton

The Royal Borderer, 22 October 2010

Berwick

Cathedrals Express, 14 August 2010

Kings Cross to York and back

York station

The Border Raider, 24 June 2010

24 June 2010 saw Tornado tackle the infamous gradient on the West Coast Mainline at Shap. She hauled The Border Raider from Crewe up the WCML over the Shap summit to Carlisle, before returning via the more sedate but picturesque route of the Settle to Carlisle Line. The full tour started and finished at Euston using a diesel.

Garsdale station

York - Crewe via Shildon, 23 June 2010

On 23 June 2010 Tornado was given the honour of towing the world speed record holder No. 4468 Mallard from her usual home as a static exhibit at the National Railway Museum in York to their satellite site at Shildon Locomotion Museum, where she was to be put on display. This was the first time in 22 years that Mallard had been seen on the main line. The full formation was Tornado followed by Mallard, Tornado's support coach, and the preserved former Royal Train diesel locomotive, No. 47798 Prince William providing extra braking force. The tow was undertaken in the afternoon, with Tornado returning to her East Coast Main Line base in York in the evening, then leaving again for an overnight trip across to Crewe on the West Coast Main Line as a positioning move in preparation for hauling The Border Raider the following day. Mallard was returned to York over a year later on 19 July 2011, this time being towed by another celebrity locomotive, No. 5972 Olton Hall, of Harry Potter fame.

approaching Newton Aycliffe station

The Purbeck Tornado, 16 June 2010

Poole High Street level crossing
Grateley station

The Bath & Bristol Explorer, 29 May 2010

Sharcott, Wiltshire

The Great Eastern Explorer, 28 May 2010

Liverpool Street - Norwich and back, via Diss outbound and Ely on the return leg

Witham, Essex

near Ketteringham

Norwich triangle

near Caistor St Edmund

Old Lakenham, leaving Norwich

Cathedrals Express, 22 May 2010

WCML: Euston - Chester - Euston

Berkhamsted station (outbound leg)

near Bellamour (outbound)

Atherstone station (return leg)

Just south of Berkhamsted station (return leg)

The Canterbury Tornado 1, 15 May 2010

The first of three Tornado tours in 2012 billed as the The Canterbury Tornado on 15 May, 31 May and 12 June 2010, all so named as they all called at Canterbury. This first tour started in Bristol hauled by a diesel locomotive, with Tornado taking over near Acton Main Line, before continuing to Sevenoaks, Canterbury, Dover, back to Sevenoaks and finally terminating at London Victoria. The second tour was to be Tornado hauled out and back from Victoria, but was cut short when Tornado failed at Canterbury. The third tour was to run from Poole behind a diesel, with Tornado running out and back from Victoria, but this tour was cancelled due to Tornado's unavailability.

Dunton Green station

The Cumbrian Coast Tornado, 14 April 2010

WCML, near Abram

Cumbrian Coast Line, near Cummersdale

Long Preston station (water stop)

Climbing Boar's Head bank near Lower Standish

Cathedrals Express, 1 March 2010

Newport station

Cathedrals Express, 14 February 2010

As with the 2009 day, two Valentines Day Special tours out of London were planned for 2010. The daytime tour this time started and finished at London Paddington, with a meandering route that reached Salisbury. The evening tour however, due to be from London Waterloo taking in Guildford, was cancelled.

Daytime tour, entering Basingstoke station

The Thames Tornado, 7 November 2009

Cholsey Station (passing through)

Kemble station

Crewe-Barrow Hill, 11 October 2009

Clay Cross, Derbyshire

The Cumbrian Mountain Tornado, 10 October 2009

Arriving at Carlisle

Arrived at Carlisle, static

Arrived at Carlisle, manourevering

Preparing to depart Carlisle

Preston station

The Waverley, 3 October 2009

York-Settle-Carlisle and back

Ribblehead Viaduct

Cathedrals Express, 26 September 2009

Kings Cross to York and back

Newark-Grantham

Cathedrals Express, 13 September 2009

London Waterloo-Honiton-Exeter-Bristol-Salisbury-Clapham Jc

Gillingham (Dorset)

The Winton Train, 4 September 2009

Tornado hauled the final British leg from Harwich to London Liverpool Street, as part of the pan-European commemorative Winton Train retracing a historic 1939 rail journey from Prague, Czechoslovakia to London, England

Ardleigh, Essex
Arriving at London Liverpool Street
Arriving at London Liverpool Street

Cathedrals Express, 15 August 2009

Victoria-Redhill-Ashford-Ramsgate-Victoria

South Croydon

Victoria

The Tamar Tornado, 8 August 2009

Bristol-Plymouth-Bristol

Exminster, southbound

Flax Bourton

Totnes station

Tigley Bank, Dartington

Newton Abbot station

The Towy Tornado, 25 July 2009

St Georges
St Georges
Stormy Down

Torbay Express, 2009

Tornado hauling several turns for the 2009 Torbay Express

?

Dawlish sea wall

9 August

Broadsands viaduct, P&DSR

2 August

Exminster, northbound
Dawlish sea wall

19 July

12 July

Cogload Junction

5 July

Taunton station

London to Birmingham, 22 June 2009

A light engine positioning move from Acton depot to Tyseley works

Oxford

Cathedrals Express, 21 June 2009

21 June 2009 saw Tornado perform two Cathedrals Express tours starting and finishing in London, a daytime tour using Waterloo, taking in Woking, Winchester and Guildford, followed by an evening tour using Victoria, via Sittingbourne, Ramsgate, Dover and Sevenoaks.

Folkestone West station

Cathedrals Express, 18 June 2009

Minehead to London Victoria

Froxfield, Wiltshire

Aldermaston Wharf, Berkshire

Theale, Berkshire

London Victoria

Severn Coast Express, 30 May 2009

Tornado sections: Trip 1, Gloucester - Cardiff - Bristol; Trip 2: Bristol - Minehead

Yatton

Chepstow

Magor

Cardiff
Pengam sidings, Cardiff

Minehead

York - Bescot 29 May 2009

Clay Cross Tunnel

Millerhill Yard to Tyne Yard, 26 April 2009

On 26 April 2009 Tornado hauled the empty coaching stock from the previous day's Cathedrals Express special charter for the Top Gear Race from Millerhill Yard which is south of Edinburgh, to Tyne Yard, which is south of Newcastle

Lesbury, Northumberland

Top Gear Race 25 April 2009

On 25 April Tornado hauled a private charter train from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, carrying the headboard for a Cathedrals Express journey, and barring the maroon support coach at the front, was formed from a uniform rake of nine Royal Scot blood and custard coaches.

The trip was filmed by the BBC for a Top Gear Race, with James May in a vintage Jaguar and Richard Hammond on a classic motorbike, racing Jeremy Clarkson on the train, but with the car and bike only allowed to use A roads.

Tornado was booked to leave London at 07.25 BST and arrive in Edinburgh at 15.27 BST. Booked timesarchive copy at the Wayback Machine. Tornado actually arrived slightly late, due to signaller allowing a slower train to run in front of it, costing Jeremy Clarkson the race.

Sutton-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire

Bawtry Viaduct, South Yorkshire

Newcastle Central Station, 13.09 BST, on time

Yorkshire Pullman 18 April 2009

See also VSOE British Pullman carriages, 18 April 2009

On 18 April 2009, Tornado hauled her first luxury pullman train. In a tour promoted by the A1 Trust itself and branded The Yorkshire Pullman, it used 12 of the pullman carriages owned by the Venice-Simplon Orient Express for a DB Schenker operated train that ran non-stop run from London Kings Cross to York and back. See VSOE British Pullman carriages, 18 April 2009 for images and details of the carriages. The outbound leg departed at 09.18 for an arrival of 14.08, while the return leg departed at 17.06 for an arrival of 21.09. During the stopover in York, the VSOE carriages remained in the station for servicing, while Tornado and her maroon support coach were uncoupled to allow the locomotive to be serviced in the National Railway Museum Great Hall approach track 53°57′40.5″N 1°5′48.88″W / 53.96125°N 1.0969111°W / 53.96125; -1.0969111, before being turned in the engineer's triangle south of the station 53°57′23.52″N 1°5′53.03″W / 53.9565333°N 1.0980639°W / 53.9565333; -1.0980639 so as to couple back onto the carriages in the station facing south for the return journey.

Northbound, Peterborough

At York

Southbound, Colton Junction, North Yorkshire

Barrow Hill - London 16 April 2009

A light engine positioning move from Barrow Hill Roundhouse to Stewarts Lane depot in London

leaving Barrow hill
Eckington, Chesterfield

York-Barrow Hill 24 March 2009

Tornado and support coach made a positioning move from York NRM to Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, in readiness for Tornado headlining their LNER II steam gala on 3/4 April. On the way, Tornado stopped at Sheffield station to take part in the naming of an East Midlands Trains Class 222 "Meridian" high speed diesel electric multiple unit in honour of Tornado.

Sheffield station

Arriving

Platform 1

Support coach parked

in platform 5

Reversing into platform 7

222003 arrives into platform 8

ceremony
nameplates

222003 departs

exiting platform 7

exiting platform 1

Darnall

Approaching Darnall railway station tender first, having left Sheffield, en route to Barrow Hill

The Tyne Tornado, 12 March 2009

Tornado hauled the York-Newcastle-York leg of this tour which ran from Cardiff, 12 March 2009

Tyne Yard

Between the out and return legs, Tornado was serviced in Tyne Yard

The North Briton, 7 March 2009

Tornado hauled the southbound leg of this tour from Edinburgh to York on 7 March 2009

Edinburgh Waverley

Berwick viaduct

Tweedmouth

Naming Ceremony and Royal Train, 19 February 2009

After a naming ceremony at York station, Tornado took the Royal Train carrying Prince Charles and his wife to Leeds, returning the empty stock back to York.

Being prepared at York
Being prepared at York
Being prepared at York
Being prepared at York
Being prepared at York
Approaching Leeds
Having returned to York
Having returned to York
Having returned to York

Cathedrals Express, 14 February 2009

Two Valentines Day Special tours out of London, a daytime tour starting and finishing at London Victoria with a meandering route that reached Southampton, and an evening tour doing the same from London Waterloo, taking in Guildford.

Kew Bridge Station, Hounslow, West London
Eastleigh, Hampshire
Andover, Hampshire
Winchester, Hampshire
Chertsey, Surrey

Talisman, 7 February 2009

The maiden A1 Trust Talisman railtour and Tornado's first long distance express and first trip to London, travelling from Darlington to London one way. Unusually, snow covered most of the route all the way to London, see February 2009 Great Britain and Ireland snowfall

Claypole, Lincolnshire

Tallington Junction, Lincolnshire

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire (4 miles north of)

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Knebworth
Knebworth
Knebworth

Kings Cross

Peppercorn Pioneer, 31 January 2009

The maiden main line passenger journey, The Peppercorn Pioneer, from York to Newcastle and back

Newcastle

Other

York
Northbound at Pilmoor, about 5 miles short of Thirsk, North Yorkshire

Main line testing, 18 November 2008

Tornado at Newcastle Central Station, alongside her contemporary replacement on the East Coast main line, a Class 91 electric locomotive

National Railway Museum

English: After running at the GCR, Tornado was based at the National Railway Museum in York, from where she completed three main line certification test runs at up to 75mph, and was then painted in her first full livery at the NRM paint shop, LNER Apple Green with British Railways markings, publicly unveiled on 13 December 2008. Tornado continued to be based behind the scenes at the NRM during her first mainline tours, being put on public display at certain times when possible

Railfest 2012

4 June
4 June
4 June
4 June
4 June
5 June
5 June
5 June
5 June
5 June

11 February 2011

22 June 2010

Outside the main hall

23 January 2010

15 March 2009

General views

Detail views

21 February 2009

Following the Royal Train

24 January 2009

On the same worskhop road as the wheels and frames of Flying Scotsman

28 December 2008

13 / 14 December 2008

13 December 2008
13 December 2008
14 December 2008

23 October 2008

Barrow Hill Roundhouse 2012

13 April

Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line), 2011

30 October 2011

Alresford station

Barrow Hill Roundhouse 2011

13 October 2011

17 September

Severn Valley Railway 2011

1 October

Bridgnorth

24 September

Eardington Halt station
Bridgnorth
approaching Highley

West Somerset Railway 2011

23 June

Minehead station
Williton station

26 June

27 August

North Yorkshire Moors Railway 2011

29 May 2011

Grosmont station

31 May

Pickering station

5 June 2011

Grosmont
Grosmont

East Lancashire Railway, 2010

Tornado's first visit to the East Lancashire Railway came in 2010, arriving in the early hours from York on 23 October in time for the 23/24 gala weekend, then running services until 7 November, departing to Hither Green on 9 Nov (the stay having been extended due the postponement of a 3 Nov tour).

?

Ramsbottom

24 October

approaching Irwell Vale

Barrow Hill Roundhouse, 2010

16 October

West Somerset Railway 2010

8 September

Minehead shed

Shildon Locomotion Museum 2010

28 April

Great Central Railway 2010

8 April

Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line) 2010

Great Southern Steam Gala, 5-7 March 2010

6 March

Medstead and Four Marks station

Alresford station

Severn Valley Railway 2009

?

Hampton Loade station

29 October

Hampton Loade station

25 October

Kidderminster

24 October

Hampton Loade station

Tyseley Locomotive Works 2009

Tornado at Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham, at their 'Tyseley 101' centenary gala weekend, 27/28 June 2009 . While Tornado was built at Darlington Locomotive Works, her frames and were first assembled at Tyseley.