---

“This Father’s Day [Sunday 15th June] will be the last one when you can buy a part of new steam locomotive Tornado for your Dad or Granddad before it is completed”, said Mark Allatt, Chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity that is building the first new mainline steam locomotive in Britain for 48 years, “and what could be a more appropriate present than helping to recreate the lost days of the steam age”. The ex-LNER Peppercorn class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is being build by the Trust at its Darlington Locomotive Works and it is now within weeks of completion. Tornado is due to move for the first time under its own steam in August 2008 and enter main line service by the end of 2008, provided that a further £100,000 of a total cost of £3m is raised in addition to what has already been donated and pledged.

[caption id="attachment_1804" align="alignright" width="300"]If only I had one of these .....[/caption]Mark Allatt continued, “One of the key ways in which the Trust has raised funds for the locomotive is by supporters sponsoring particular components either on their own behalf or as a gift for others. The lucky recipient of this gift will receive a drawing of the component sponsored and certificate recognising the sponsorship with the dedication worded however the giver wishes. The recipient will have the satisfaction of pointing to the part of the locomotive they sponsored when the locomotive enters service on Britain’s main line railway. We have many parts on offer, which have in the past ranged from individual nuts and bolts to the wheels and chimney, ranging in price from £25 to £25,000. And as a thank you Dad or Granddad will be able to buy tickets take his children and grandchildren for a traditional meal on a train pulled by Tornado in 2008”.

Components available for sponsorship include:

• fixed boiler stays at £25 and flexible boiler stays at £50
• parts of the boiler cladding from £150
• large boiler tube at £200
• brake hangers at £300
• driving wheel tyre at £1,500
• inside connecting rod machining at £4,800
• exhaust steam injector at £12,000

with other parts at prices to suit all pockets, however deep.

Mark Allatt added, “This is an ideal opportunity to not only give a present with a difference this Father’s Day but also to play an important part in building the first new main line steam locomotive in Britain for 48 years.”

All of these dedicated donations are available by emailing enquiries@a1steam.com or calling 01325 4 60163.

The A1 Trust is building Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at its Darlington Locomotive Works and when complete it will be used on charter trains operating on Network Rail. Significant progress has been made on the construction of Tornado, including the steam test on its boiler in January this year, with over £2.9m raised to-date through deeds of covenant, commercial sponsorship (principal sponsor William Cook Cast Products Limited) and through a bond issue. In order to get Tornado on the main line as quickly as possible the Trust needs to raise a further £100,000 on top of its existing pledges.