The world famous steam engine, Tornado touches down in Leicestershire this week. The celebrity “Peppercorn A1 pacific” which has got everybody talking following a starring appearance on BBC’s Top Gear programme is visiting the Great Central Railway for three weeks.
Great Central Railway President Bill Ford said, “We are honoured to have Tornado visiting our line. The locomotive was trialled and tested here back in 2008. Now it has been painted and become a star of steam excursions on the national network and hauled the Royal Train. It is very much in demand and draws a crowd wherever it goes. We’re sure it will be bringing people to Leicestershire while it is with us.”
Tornado is running on three weekends at the GCR.
• March 20th and 21st, during an ‘All steam weekend’
• March 26th, 27th and 28th, with a starring role in the GCR’s 1960s gala
• April 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, through the Easter holiday weekend.
Such was the demand for tickets, a special dining train hauled by the engine sold out weeks before it arrived. However, another Tornado hauled dining train has been added to the schedule, running on Sunday 21st of March. The train departs at 7.30pm and a four course meal will be served in the comfort of the GCRs first class dining carriages. Tickets cost £47 per person
The railway has teamed up with the A1 Steam Locomotive trust, (who built Tornado from scratch over a period of eighteen years) to offer a limited number of chances to drive Tornado while it is at the Great Central Railway.
EMERALD PACKAGE: Drive Tornado light engine for a single eight mile trip along the line. Ride on the footplate in the other direction. One slot remaining on FRIDAY 2nd APRIL. £450 per person.
SILVER PACKAGE: Drive Tornado for a full line return (16 miles) with carriages. Then ride another return trip on the footplate (32 miles in total). £750 per person. Two slots remaining.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented, “After a busy first year of main line operations it will be good to take Tornado back to the Great Central Railway where she pulled her first trains in 2008. Tornado is performing very well and the Trust is working hard to pay off the remaining £600,000 of the loans taken out to complete the locomotive."
To book a ticket for the Tornado dining train or to find out more about your chance to drive Tornado, please call 01509 230726.