The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, built Peppercorn class A1 Pacific 60163 Tornado, named after the RAF aircraft, 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 class A1s were designed by Arthur H Peppercorn for the London & North Eastern Railway and 49 were built in 1948/49 by British Railways. However, following the dieselisation of the railways, all were scrapped by 1966. After 18 years of planning, construction and fundraising the £3 million locomotive was completed in 2008 and named by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at York station in 2009. Frequently headlined in the press and on TV, Tornado was the subject of a BBC documentary and starred in BBC Top Gear’s ‘Race to the North’ with Jeremy Clarkson on-board. A variety of gifts featuring Tornado are available from the Trust’s on-line shop at www.a1steam.com. Funds to build Tornado have been raised through deeds of covenant, sponsorship (principal sponsor William Cook Cast Products Limited), loans and a bond issue. The Trust is still seeking to raise funds to repay the outstanding £500,000 borrowed to complete her construction and provide a support coach. For details of how to help or where to travel behind Tornado visit www.a1steam.com or email [email protected].