Watch the £3m new steam locomotive from your armchair

Tornado, the first new main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost 50 years, has generated a huge interest from railway enthusiasts and general public alike over recent months.  Its numerous outings on Britain's national network have brought crowds out in their thousands to see and hear the A1 class locomotive.

Now, there is a way to see and hear Tornado from the comfort of your favorite armchair with a new 60-minute DVD programme, "The Tornado Story", which has just been released.  Produced by RH Publishing with the co-operation of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, owners of Tornado, the programme charts the progress of the project over the last 18 years, from the construction through to the first steaming and movements, including archive footage of the original A1 class locomotives in the 1960s.

 

One of many highlights in the programme, which makes for an ideal father's day gift, is the extensive coverage of the Royal naming of Tornado at York station by TRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.  Also included are the locomotive’s visits to the Great Central Railway, Barrow Hill Roundhouse and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, plus all charter trains that the locomotive has worked on the National Rail network until the end of April 2009.

The producers of “The Tornado Story” DVD are kindly making a donation to the trust for each DVD sold, so in obtaining the programme, all purchasers are helping to support this remarkable project and keep Tornado on the main line.

The programme is available now, priced at £10.95, from The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.