FIRST NEW MAIN LINE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE BUILT FOR ALMOST HALF A CENTURY TO HAUL TRAIN FROM LONDON TO SWANAGE ON 16th JUNE 2010

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 12th June 2010
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise noted.
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London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' at Doniford on the WSR.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

History is to be made in Purbeck this week when the first new main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost 50 years hauls a special train from London Waterloo down to Corfe Castle and Swanage on 16th June 2010.

Photographs of 'Tornado' in action on this page are courtesy of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' is making its whirlwind visit to the Dorset seaside resort on Wednesday 16 June 2010 - arriving in Swanage at lunchtime and departing at teatime for its return to London Waterloo with its long 'Purbeck Tornado' excursion train organised by UK Railtours.

It cost £3 million to build the 'Tornado' which has attracted a storm of media publicity since it took to the rails in 2008 after 18 years of fund raising and building work by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' at Dawlish.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

Although this week's 'Tornado' excursion from London is fully booked, UK Railtours is running another with 'Tornado' at its helm on Wednesday, 29 September 2010.

"The story of 'Tornado' fund raising and construction has been one that has gone from dream to steam and we're very proud to be having the locomotive bringing a main line excursion train from London down to Swanage," explained Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne.

"How 'Tornado' came to be built is an epic tale of how a conversation in a pub turned into a generation-long struggle to build a new steam locomotive from scratch - by asking members of the public to donate 'the price of a pint'," he explained.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' on the BBC's 'Top Gear'.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

'Tornado' has starred in an episode of BBC Two's 'Top Gear' - first shown in 2009 and watched by over seven million people - when it raced a 1949 vintage Jaguar XK120 car and a Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle from London to Edinburgh, with presenter Jeremy Clarkson on the footplate of 'Tornado'.

The new £3 million Peppercorn class A1 Pacific steam locomotive was built over 18 years by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, at its Darlington Locomotive Works.

Frequently headlined in the press, TV and radio, No. 60163 'Tornado' was the subject of a BBC documentary 'Absolutely Chuffed - The Men Who Built a Steam Engine' broadcast Christmas Eve 2008 on BBC Two and is now available on a DVD from the Swanage Railway shop or on line at www.swanagerailway.co.uk here. The Swanage Railway shop also stocks three other 'Tornado' DVDs as well as other 'Tornado' and 'Tornado'-related merchandise.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' with the Royal Train.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

The locomotive was officially named 'Tornado' by Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in February 2009 and since then 'Tornado' has entered service on the Network Rail main line.

Martin explained: "'Tornado' has had a hectic first year of main line operations stretching right across the country and we are delighted to be welcoming her to the Swanage Railway when she brings some 500 people to Swanage."

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' at Chelmsford.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

"The story of 'Tornado's remarkable construction began at the National Railway Museum in York with the lucky discovery of the surviving drawings of the original Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotives.

"'Tornado' is performing flawlessly and the Trust is working hard to pay off the remaining £500,000 of the loans taken out to complete the locomotive's construction," explained Martin.

The A1 class steam locomotives were designed by Arthur H. Peppercorn for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) and 49 were built during 1948 and 1949 by British Railways. But, following the dieselisation of the railways, they were all scrapped by 1966.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado' comes off shed.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

The project to build a new Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive was launched in 1990 and after 18 years of planning, construction and fundraising, the £3 million locomotive was completed in August 2008.

Based at Hither Green in London, further details about 'Tornado' can be obtained from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust's website at 'www.a1steam.com' here

More details about Swanage Railway services and special events are available from 'www.swanagerailway.co.uk' or by calling 01929 425800.

London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 'Tornado'.
Photo A1 Steam Locomotive Trust