60163 'Tornado' Returns To The Mainline! 'The Great Britain XVII' - 03/05/2025

Описание: LNER Peppercorn A1 60163 ‘Tornado’ has been one of the most active performers on the mainline since her debut in 2008, regularly running railtours all across the British Isles alongside her visits to heritage railways. In January 2022, the engine entered the workshop for her most extensive refurbishment to date. However, numerous snagging anomalies delayed her return by as much as two years, until she finally steamed again on the mainline in March. Following testing of her newly-fitted ECTS signalling equipment on the Cambrian line, she will be found operating primarily on West Coast Railways’ trains. This meant she would be one of the key locomotives in charge of ‘The Great Britain XVII’.

Running annually since 2007, ‘The Great Britain’ is a prestigious multi-day railtour covering the length and breath of the UK. Starting off From London Victoria behind SR Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ 35028 ‘Clan Line’, the tour would travel to Bristol, before making its way to Scotland along the west coast mainline. When the train reached Edinburgh on Tuesday 29th April, ‘Tornado’ took over for a sojourn north over the Highland line to Perth and Inverness, returning on Friday 2nd May. The last leg of the journey would see the train head south again from Newcastle to Peterborough, where 60163 would give way to 45212 for the next leg of the trip to Norwich. Interestingly, the tour would travel over the Stockton line from Ferryhill Junction, a route rarely used by steam and bypassing ‘Tornado’s hometown of Darlington altogether.

As I only had time to capture one shot of the run, I decided to head to Picton, a couple of miles south of Yarm. The former NER station building has now been renovated into a private house, although the pub and level crossing are still in situ. The A1 had been running early as far as Eaglescliffe, when a signal check brought her back on schedule. I was debating which side of the foot crossing to stand on, as both angles offered good views. Ultimately, I chose the east side of the line. This was a wise decision, as when 60163 accelerated around the curve, a TransPennine Express unit could be heard whirring up behind me, passing ‘Tornado’ just after the crossing; much to the chagrin of the other photographers who had gathered!

I hope you all enjoy the video. It’s a joy to see 60163 back out on the mainline. Thanks to all who worked on the overhaul and continue to keep her going. Check out our Instagram page at   / secondvalvesteam   for photos, updates and more. Feel free to comment and subscribe!