Since the locomotive’s last visit to Barrow Hill – for the hugely successful "A1, A2, A4" event with Blue Peter, Sir Nigel Gresley and Union of South Africa in April this year - the new star of the railway world has had a busy summer of operations from London and in the South West, the highlight of which was being chosen to haul the British leg of ‘The Winton Train’ from Harwich Parkeston Quay (International) to London’s Liverpool Street station on Friday 4th September 2009. This train commemorated the ‘Kindertransport’ trains and celebrated the life of Sir Nicholas Winton who rescued 669 mainly Jewish children from Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1939.
Since her visit in April Tornado has also starred in the BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ programme shown on Sunday 21st June 2009 racing a Jaguar XK120 car and Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle from London to Edinburgh, with presenter Jeremy Clarkson on-board. The programme was watched by over seven million people.
Tickets for the 18th October event are £5.00 per person. The Roundhouse will be open from 10.00am to 4.00pm and Tornado will haul passenger trains throughout the day. There will also be a limited number of opportunities to ride on the footplate. The footplate rides are priced at £20 each.
Admission includes entry to the Roundhouse, where fellow Peppercorn designed-locomotive Blue Peter will be on display, and the Deltic Preservation Society's workshops.
The shop and museum will be open and there will be catering on site.
The new £3m Peppercorn class A1 pacific steam locomotive was built over almost 20 years by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, a registered charity, at its Darlington Locomotive Works in Darlington, Country Durham. Frequently headlined in the national and international press and on TV and radio, No. 60163 Tornado was the subject of a BBC documentary ‘Absolutely Chuffed: The Men Who Built a Steam Engine’ broadcast on Christmas Eve on BBC2 last year. The locomotive was officially named Tornado by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in February.