English: 'Tornado' came to my home town on Saturday. Not the greatest of photos as it was a bit of an overcast morning but it was a nice sight to see all the same..

60163 Tornado is the newest steam engine on the national network. First steamed in 2008, after a 19 year project to fund and build the locomotive, Tornado was built to be not a replica, but the 50th A1. The original 49 A1s were built for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) between 1948 and 1949. Sadly after the withdrawal of steam in 1968 none of the LNER A1 class engines were saved from the scrapper’s torch. In 1990 a group of enthusiasts founded a trust (A1 Steam Locomotive Trust) to return this missing link.

The locomotive is currently painted in British Railway's Express Passenger Blue, a livery which was carried by the A1s between 1948 and the early 1950s. Tornado has 3 cylinders, 6 driving wheels and a firebox of 50sq.ft. Tornado is a regular locomotive for Steam Dreams, often seen on trips along the East Coast Mainline to York. Whilst limited to 75 mph today, A1s are capable of achieving speeds in excess of 100mph. During its short life Tornado has twice hauled the Royal Train, taken part in a BBC Top Gear Race with Jeremy Clarkson and had its very own programme made for the BBC, a documentary called ‘Absolutely Chuffed’. You can find the very interesting programme here

Information found here