Tornado joins West Coast, but no-show for East Lancs gala

News

BELEAGUERED REPLICA Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado finally returned to the main line on March 7, with an engine-and-coach move from the Nene Valley Railway to Carnforth.

The move to the former 10A MPD comes as the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust reached an agreement with West Coast Railways and the Railway Touring Company to provide the 2008-built ‘Pacific’ for “a significant number of tours each year during the current certification that covers us to 2028.” The agreement provides WCR with a much-needed air-braked, main line-certificated locomotive for its railtours, as Carnforth’s resident ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34067 Tangmere is currently its only main line-capable air-braked steam locomotive, while simultaneously providing guaranteed work for No. 60163 which – until the WCR deal – did not have a main line Train Operating Company. However, as part of the deal, Tornado will be repainted from its current early British Railways lined apple green livery back into late 1950s condition “to align with the appearance” of WCR’s trains, although the trust did not state whether this would be a reversion to lined BR blue or darker BR green.

A1SLT chairman Steve Davies MBE said that, after Tornado’s arrival at Carnforth, the ‘A1’ would “be fully examined and if all is well it will be prepared for its loaded test run. Clearly this is subject to a successful light engine test run and completion of appropriate audit and acceptance activities with WCR.”

However, owing to the timeline for this work and potential risk factors, the trust agreed with the East Lancashire Railway to postpone Tornado’s planned appearance at the line’s Legends of Steam gala on March 14-16. Davies said: “This is not something we do lightly, especially after such a long time out of operation, but it is important that we ensure Tornado is properly tested and available for the 2025 season and is operated with confidence. We are making arrangements with the ELR to agree the dates for a visit as early as is practical, and we hope to announce the new dates soon.

“We know that there will be disappointment that we will not be operating public trains at the ELR this month, but be assured that Tornado is now moving towards a much-awaited re emergence onto the national network and a busy programme of railtours across the UK, plus visits to preserved lines too.” It has been a challenging few months for Tornado and the A1SLT. After returning to steam at the Great Central Railway in August 2024 following the completion of its much-delayed overhaul. A planned return to the main line in September that year was postponed owing to a warped fire grate and issues with the locomotive’s newly fitted European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment.

The Peppercorn-designed 4-6-2 moved to the Nene Valley Railway in October for a much-delayed visit, but was taken out of service over the New Year period to have its grate replaced “following a bad reaction to some imported coal,” the trust said, adding: “The grate was not replaced at overhaul but, along with quite a few other locomotives, Tornado has suffered with damage to the carriers and other components, so a replacement was required.” However, in late January, the locomotive’s ETCS equipment was signed off for use on the national network “after many, many months of effort, and a considerable delay against plan.”