Breath of fresh air for trainspotters at Tornado hits Kingussie
The spotters were out in force with their cameras at the ready along the Highland Main Line through Badenoch and Strathspey on Wednesday, keen to catch a shot of showbiz nostalgia.
The Tornado was the star of the day, as it steamed its way back in time….all the way to 2008!
It’s true.
The new build steam loco merely recreates the glorious bygone era of the railways, but it was actually completed just 17 years ago, built from scratch by a dedicated team of volunteers. All the way, it’s pure showbiz - but what a show!
The crowds who waved it through yesterday had enjoyed its screen performances both big and small.
Tornado steamed into Paddington 2 and found further fame in Top Gear’s ‘Race to the North’.
The majestic locomotive has also claimed a100mph top speed in secret night time tests to asset itself as the first steam locomotive to reach such high speeds since the 1960s.
“It was a great sight to see,” said Strathy stringer Ruairidh Ormiston at Highland Horse Fun, whose stables lie right beside the Highland main line and was there to capture these images as the star stopped at the station for some refreshments.
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, built Peppercorn class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works. Fitted with additional water capacity and the latest railway safety electronics, Tornado is fully equipped for today’s main line railway.
The A1 class was designed by Arthur H Peppercorn for the London & North Eastern Railway and 49 were built in 1948/49 by British Railways. However, following modernisation, all were scrapped by 1966.
After 18 years of construction and fundraising the £3 million locomotive was completed in August 2008, the first main line steam locomotive to be built for the UK since 1961
Tornado was named by HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at York station on February 19, 2009, in honour of the crews who flew RAF Tornado fast jets during the first Gulf War in 1990/91 when the project to build the new Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive was launched.
