Has Steam Made a Comeback with the Modern LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado?

Описание: What if a steam locomotive wasn’t just a relic of the past—but a marvel of the modern age? Meet Tornado, the LNER Peppercorn Class A1, a full-sized, mainline-certified steam engine built from scratch in the 21st century. This is more than just engineering—it’s living history reborn.

In this video, we take a deep dive into the incredible story of Tornado—a locomotive that went from concept to legend. Built between 1994 and 2008 by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, Tornado brought back to life the Peppercorn A1s of the late 1940s, all of which were tragically lost to the scrapheap by the 1960s.

You’ll learn:

🛠️ How this locomotive was designed using original 1940s blueprints and built with the help of modern materials and techniques.

🚄 Why Tornado is the first new mainline steam locomotive built in Britain since 1960—and how it passed all modern safety and rail standards.

🏁 How she became the first British steam engine to officially hit 100 miles per hour in over half a century, in a landmark test in 2017.

🛤️ The significance of her mainline certification, her role in royal rail tours, and her dramatic appearance in shows like Top Gear and Paddington 2.

🔧 How she became the first steam locomotive in the world fitted with ETCS Level 2 digital signalling, operating on the East Coast Main Line in 2025—an astonishing blend of heritage and future tech.

We’ll also explore Tornado’s appearances on preserved heritage lines, her dedicated following of supporters known as “covenantors”, and how she has paved the way for the next generation of new-build steam—like the P2 Prince of Wales, currently under construction.

Whether you’re a rail enthusiast, a lover of British engineering, or simply fascinated by stories of perseverance and ambition, this video will inspire and inform.

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Let the steam rise… and the story roll on.

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