LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado - Project Milestones

Project Milestones

• 1990 – A1 Steam Locomotive Trust formally launched, 11 November
• 1994 – First and last components ceremonially presented (a bogie swivel pin and a regulator nut)
• 1994 – Construction starts (frame plates rolled at Scunthorpe), 22 April
• 1995 – Nameplates presented at the frame laying ceremony, January
• 1995 – First wheel cast
• 1996 – Three cylinder castings unveiled at Tyseley, 25 May
• 1997 – Frame displayed at the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum, March
• 1997 – Tornado unveiled at Darlington Locomotive Works
• 1999 – Smokebox door complete, Tornado's symbolic 'face'
• 2000 – Construction over 50% complete (Summer)
• 2000 – Wheelset added (Autumn)
• 2004 – The book value of Tornado components reaches 1 million pounds
• 2004 – First synchronous smooth wheel motion, 25 August
• 2007 – Boiler/firebox assembly fitted to frame, June
• 2008 – First static steaming, January
• 2008 – Tender completed, February
• 2008 – Tornado publicly launched, Darlington Locomotive Works, 1 August 2008
• 2008 – First passenger train hauled, preserved Great Central Railway. Loughborough, 21 September
• 2008 – Main line testing begins, National Railway Museum, York, 4 November
• 2008 – Third and final main line test run completed, York, 19 November
• 2008 – First full livery unveiled (minus nameplates), LNER Apple Green, York, 13 December
• 2009 – The Peppercorn Pioneer, the first passenger journey on the UK Main Line, 31 January 2009
• 2009 - Tornado was officially named by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, 19 February
• 2009 - BBC Top Gear Race filmed, 25 April 2009
• 2009 - Institution of Mechanical Engineers present Tornado with Engineering Heritage Award at York, 23 May 2009
• 2009 - Reaches 10,000 miles (16,000 km) on Torbay Express, 5 July
• 2009 - Rescues Stranded commuters after Kent's Railways Shut down after heavy snow fall
• 2010 - First mainline failure on "The Canterbury Tornado" railtour, 31 May
• 2010 - Hauls Mallard in tow to Shildon Locomotion Museum from the National Railway Museum, with a support coach and 44798 also in tow
• 2010 - Beats previous record for fastest steam hauled railtour over Shap summit by 19 seconds, 24 June
• 2010 - Failed at Rugby on "The Christmas Coronation" (Day 3) with low steam pressure after several problems en route, mainly due to poor quality coal from Russia. Tornado could barely reach 100 psi (700 kPa) 20 November
• 2010 - Returns to York NRM for maintenance and to be repainted to lined "Brunswick Green" December
• 2011 - Boiler returned to DB Meiningen for repairs January
• 2011 - Boiler refitted and passes steam test April.
• 2011 - Unveiled at NRM in lined Brunswick Green with initial BR 'Lion and wheel' symbol (9 February)
• 2011 - Hauls the longest public steam day excursion since 1968 – 505 miles from Crewe via Manchester, Shap and Beattock to Glasgow and return via Wigan (21 September)
• 2012 - While receiving Winter Maintenance at Ropley on the Mid Hants Railway, the loco although retaining BR's Brunswick Green had the BR crest changed from the early style to the later style.
• 2012 - Unveiled in BR Express Passenger Blue livery for the first time. The final livery that Tornado had yet to carry. 24 November