Tornado (locomotive)

LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 ''Tornado'' is a 4-6-2 steam locomotive completed in 2008 to an original design by Arthur Peppercorn. It is the first new build British mainline steam locomotive since 1960, and the only Peppercorn Class A1 in existence after the original batch were scrapped. In 2017, ''Tornado'' became the first steam locomotive to officially reach 100 mph on British tracks in over 50 years.

After the project was founded by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in 1990, construction of ''Tornado'' began in 1994 and mostly took place at Darlington Works, with other components manufactured elsewhere. The project was financed through fundraising initiatives, public donations, sponsorship deals, and hiring out ''Tornado'' itself for special services. The locomotive was granted its mainline certificate in January 2009, having been designed in compliance with modern safety and certification standards''. Tornado'' has worked on heritage and mainline trains across Britain since 2008. In 2022, it was withdrawn for overhaul.

Background

In 1990, the charitable A1 Steam Locomotive Trust was founded with the intention of building a new LNER Peppercorn Class A1 steam locomotive and the 50th member of its class. The original 49 Peppercorn A1s were built in 1948 and 1949 at Doncaster and Darlington Works at £16,000 each. They were initially ordered for operation on the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) to a design by its chief mechanical engineer Arthur Peppercorn, but were delivered after the company had been nationalised and became British Railways. The Peppercorn A1s ran services on the East Coast Main Line until the last one was scrapped in September 1966 after a comparatively short service of 15 years. None of them were preserved.

''Tornado'' was intended to be built as the next Peppercorn A1 and not a restoration nor replica, and was assigned the next available number in the class after No. 60162 ''Saint Johnstoun''. It was designed as an evolved member of its class, incorporating various improvements that would have occurred had steam continued in Brtian. It was the first new build steam locomotive on British railways since BR Standard Class 9F 92220 ''Evening Star'' was completed in 1960.

The name ''Tornado'' was chosen in honour of the Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado air crews flying at the time in the Gulf War. The honour of choosing the name was given to a £50,000 sponsor of the project. In January 1995, officers of the Royal Air Force presented the ''Tornado'' nameplates to the trust at Tyseley Locomotive Works at a frame laying ceremony. The smokebox door carries the identification plate of 51 A, the code for Darlington shed, and the cab side carries a builder's plate No. 2195 Darlington 2008. The front buffer beam carries the designation A1.

On 19 February 2009, ''Tornado'' was officially named by the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall and Dorothy Mather, Peppercorn's widow, at York railway station. The ceremony is marked by a plaque located below the nameplate. ''Tornado'' then pulled the Royal Train to Leeds.

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Design

Initial research and draughting

On hearing of the project in October 1991, Argentine locomotive engineer Livio Dante Porta contacted the trust, hailing the project as the start of a "renaissance of steam technology". In 1992, he submitted ''A proposal for the Tornado project'' in which he presented to the trust several design improvements that could be made to ''Tornado'' that, while preserving the outer form, would make it a second-generation steam locomotive. Since the trust was not creating a replica of a Peppercorn A1 but the next in its class, Porta's suggestions were duly considered and the trust reported only some of his ideas could be adopted as his others were untried and presented too many risks, which Porta estimated would have taken 20,000 test miles to iron out his improvements. Ironically, in 2003, it was decided to make ''Tornado'' oil-fired for cost and operational reasons, following earlier dual-fuelled coal-and-oil-fired proposals in 1998, when boiler design commenced. This was later abandoned in favour of the original design of coal firing, due to the large increase in global fossil fuel prices, and to save the certification costs of this design difference.

There were no general arrangement drawings of a Peppercorn A1, so rough engineering dimensions for ''Tornado'' were obtained from measuring Peppercorn Class A2 60532 ''Blue Peter'' at the National Railway Museum (NRM). Many of the drawings originally used at Doncaster Works for the Peppercorn A1's had been preserved at the NRM, and a team of volunteers spent three days collating these in 1991. The original drawings were India ink drawings on linen which had to be scanned into a computer aided design (CAD) software program as the microfilm copies at the NRM were not suitable for manufacturing purposes, and direct dyeline copies could not be made. 95% of the original drawings were found, with 1,100 scanned by 1993, and a further 140 in 2001. A few poor quality originals required re-drawing. Updated specifications were required to be drawn up to account for out-of-date material specifications and drawing notes whose original meaning could not be determined. Other design details were also obtained through interviews with Peppercorn's former assistant, J.F. Harrison.

Changes from the original Peppercorn A1s

''Tornado'' design was modified where necessary to better suit modern manufacturing techniques and to fit in with the modern high-speed railway, while retaining the greater part of the original design. As an evolution of the Peppercorn Class A1, ''Tornado'' would also incorporate improvements that would have been made to the class had steam continued, such as correction of the rough riding faults.

The following design changes were made for cost or operational reasons:
* An all-welded boiler (i.e. not riveted)
* Steel firebox (not copper)
* One-piece frames
* Roller bearings
* Improved front bogie
* Improved steam circuit
* Altered tender coal/water balance (more water)
* Overall weight reduction

Additionally, to meet current safety and operation standards, ''Tornado'' includes:
* Up-rated electrical supplies
* Primary air (not steam) brakes
* LED cluster head/tail lamps
* Vacuum brakes (for heritage railway stock)
* 1 inch (25 mm) reduction in overall height (for overhead line equipment (OLE) regulations)
* Automatic Warning System (AWS)
* Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS)
* Data recorder
* European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) compatible GSM-Railway (GSM-R) cab radioThe Railway Magazine, November 2008, p63

With advances in manufacturing, ''Tornado's'' long steel plates were electronically cut from one piece of steel, as opposed to the original Peppercorn A1s, which had two-piece frames riveted together. These are probably the most accurate steam locomotive frames ever produced. Despite their higher costs, roller bearings were used owing to the reliability they had demonstrated after a trial on some of the original engines. This caused an unforeseen problem in 2003 since the modifications made to the tender in the original fitting of roller bearings as an experiment to some Peppercorn A1s had not been properly drawn for the Cartazzi axle of the trailing wheels.

A reduction in height from the original height was required by the Network Rail regulations, and was achieved by a redesign of the dome and safety valve mountings on the boiler, and by reprofiling of the cab roof and chimney. Testing was planned to occur with a lipped chimney, and on receipt of the first full livery, ''Tornado'' would be fitted with an authentic rimless chimney, described as the original non-capped version.Steam Railway magazine, Issue 355, 17 October – 13 November 2008 The fluted chimney was still not fitted at the time of its LNER Apple Green livery launch on 13 December 2008, due to it still being machined at the manufacturer. It was completed and fitted in time for the inaugural main line passenger run. The chimney was also fitted with a spark arrestor. ''Tornado'' has two whistles: a standard LNER "teapot" whistle on the cab front and an ex-LNER chime whistle from LNER Class A4 4482 ''Golden Eagle'' behind the right-hand deflector.

Boiler from Meiningen Works

Consideration of the boiler began in late 1998. No standard gauge boiler had been built in Britain for such a large express locomotive since the 1960s, and it was required to be based on the original LNER design but meet modern safety standards. Design changes included the cheaper modern-day fabrication method of a welded, rather than riveted, firebox and boiler tubing; the use of steel, rather than copper, for the firebox; and the aforementioned height reduction for Network Rail regulations. While manufacturing facilities still existed in Britain to manufacture such a large boiler, because of the design differences from the originals the trust required a supplier with specific experience of designing, building, and certification of modern steam engine boilers as required by the EU's Pressure Equipment Directive.

In early 2002, the Deutsche Bahn's Meiningen Steam Locomotive Works in Germany was identified as a suitable supplier. It possessed the required knowledge as main line steam operation had continued in East Germany until the mid-1980s, 70% of its work still involved steam, and it still possessed the powerful plate roller machines. The trust did not have sufficient funding to place the order until January 2005. On 16 July 2006, the boiler arrived by sea and was unloaded at Darlington with a 200-ton crane, having taken just nine months to build. The fitting of the 21-ton firebox and boiler unit to the wheeled locomotive frame was said to have been a perfect fit, requiring no grinding at all, a tribute to the accuracy of the design and construction at Meiningen. The fitting was not without incident though, as the extra weight caused some compaction of the trackbed, and assistance was required to move the locomotive back into the works, by a combination of being winched, towed by a forklift truck and pushed with Land Rovers.

A further modification to the boiler design has been the use of hollow stays which support and separate the outer boiler and inner firebox. The hollow stays act as an indicator of any cracks in the otherwise inaccessible stays, such cracks being revealed by water leaks. Leaks have in fact been detected and have led to the locomotive being unavailable for service. Replacement stays were fitted in 2010.

Tender and wheelset

In 1991, a preference for a "Doncaster pattern" riveted tender was expressed as per the original Peppercorn A1s. The redundant tender of LNER Class A3 4472 ''Flying Scotsman'' was acquired, although later returned unused, allowing ''Tornado'' to remain a completely originally-manufactured locomotive. By 2002, it was agreed that a flush sided (all welded) boiler and tender was appropriate for a Darlington-built Peppercorn A1, making construction and maintenance easier. The tender was redesigned internally, removing the water scoop, increasing the water capacity from 5,000 to 6,000 gallons, and reducing coal capacity from 9 to 7.5 tons. In 2003 the need for a second tender for ''Tornado'' was discounted.

The motion components alone cost £150,000, taking £50,000 to forge (and requiring three years to complete) and £100,000 to machine. The wheelset was the first mainline steam locomotive wheelset to be manufactured in Britain since 1960, and took five years and nine suppliers. The wheels were so smooth that the complete locomotive could easily be pushed out of the works by human power alone, as seen when the locomotive was moved outside in preparation for its first steam-powered moves. If the locomotive were to be suspended, the entire wheel and motion arrangement could be turned by hand.

Manufacture

''Tornado'' was mostly assembled at the A1 Trust's Darlington Locomotive Works, bringing together components manufactured around the country and some from overseas. Actual manufacture and construction started in 1994 before the works opened, with casting of the cylinders and wheels, the cutting of the frames, and construction of the cab. The locomotive frames were assembled at Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham, which was marked by a laying ceremony on 5 January 1995 and completed by October 1996.

In March 1997 ''Tornado'', as a completed frame and inside cylinder, was displayed in the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum for several weeks. She returned to Tyseley to await completion of Darlington Works. The elements of ''Tornado'' were brought together with the opening of the works in 1997, and the opening ceremony saw the unveiled locomotive, now consisting of the frame with its three cylinders and cab attached. Early 1998 saw the smokebox construction started and the tyres fitted and by 1999, forging of the motion components had started with the first delivery of components commencing in January 2000.

By September 1999, the last wheel had been pressed onto the wheelset, which was delivered to Darlington by July 2000. By January 2000, the front bogie had been assembled. With the fitting of these parts, the mounting of the frame onto the wheelset, and fitting of the smokebox, by the end of 2000, the most visible missing parts of ''Tornado'' were the boiler and tender.

Post-2000, assembly and setting of the motion proceeded, and attention turned to the design of the boiler; a £250,000 appeal was launched. ''Tornado'' became a rolling chassis by October 2002, and achieved the first synchronous movement of the motion and all wheels in August 2004. 2005 saw construction of the boiler in Germany, with construction begun on 16 October, and completed in time for delivery on 16 July 2006. By June 2007 ''Tornado's'' internal construction was sufficiently complete to allow fitting of the boiler to the frame, using a 100-ton crane. The most complex casting, the superheater header, was started in 2007, and after defeating two foundries the complex shape was cast by a third supplier. Owing to space constraints at Darlington works, the ''Tornado'' tender frames and body were built off-site, with the body being significantly built locally in Darlington. The tender wheelsets were assembled by an East Lancs Railway-based company. The tender frame and wheelset were united by December 2007, and the tank attached to it by February 2008.

From its construction until final testing was completed, ''Tornado'' sported a grey coloured undercoat as a precaution in case the boiler cladding had to be removed. The livery was described as "works grey" in a "satin finish".Steam Railway magazine, Issue 355, 17 October – 13 November 2008, page 73 While in this undercoat, ''Tornado'' wore the web address of the A1 Trust on the side of the tender and the mark RA9 on the locomotive cab, denoting its route availability.

Commissioning

Boiler tests

A computer simulation was used to assist in the setting up of the valves and motion. The boiler safety valves were tested on LNER Class A4 60009 ''Union of South Africa'' at the Severn Valley Railway before their delivery to Meiningen for fitting to ''Tornado''. The boiler was hydraulically tested at the manufacturer's factory at one-and-a-half times working pressure and was passed safe. On 11 January 2008, the boiler passed its first steam test in a series of tests carried out by an external boiler inspector. For the test, the fire was lit and the boiler was allowed to warm up for over 48 hours before being then taken up to , just over the maximum working pressure, with the safety valves set to the correct pressure. The boiler was noted by the inspector to be a very rapid one, boding well for use on the mainline, and noted ''Tornado'' exhibited no leaks of any kind, in contrast to heritage locomotive restorations.

The tender body was not yet finished by this time so the test was conducted using a water bowser. The boiler created steam so efficiently that the water supply was being used faster than it could be replenished by the mains water supply to the works. To complete the test and not prematurely damp down the fire, an emergency call for water was made to the local fire brigade, who responded with a fire tender to supply more water. This was sensationally but inaccurately reported in one local newspaper as "fire brigade called to prevent boiler explosion".

Launch and Great Central Railway trials

Low speed trials of ''Tornado'' as a live steam locomotive first occurred on the long track at Darlington Works. After a series of private tests, ''Tornado'' made her first in-steam moves on 29 July 2008,Steam Railway magazine, Issue 358, 9 January – 5 February 2009, pages 44–46 followed by its official launch on 1 August, moving up and down the test siding in front of the press. The 1 August launch coincided with the 40th anniversary of the end of steam on British Railways on 4 August 1968, and the 60th anniversary of the entry into traffic of the first Peppercorn A1 class locomotive, No. 60114 ''W.P. Allen''. On 7 August, ''Tornado'' was entered onto Total Operations Processing System (TOPS), a computer system used in the UK for managing locomotives and rolling stock.A1 Steam Official Site
Certification. Retrieved 24 October 2008 Although the painted number is 60163, ''Tornado'' is designated 98863 on the British main line in TOPS, where "98" describes a steam engine, the "8" stems from the power classification of 8P, and "63" comes from its 60163 number.

From Darlington Works, ''Tornado'' was moved by road on two articulated lorries to the Great Central Railway on 19 August, where she performed mileage accumulation and testing before hauling her first passenger trains.A1 Steam Official Site
Tornado hauls first trains on Great Central Railway, Monday, 25 August 2008 13:54. Retrieved 24 October 2008 Testing of the On-Train Monitoring Recorder (OTMR), Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS), Automatic Warning System (AWS), and air brakes was also done at the GCR, and are standard for all steam locomotives requiring certification for main line running, with speed and regulator positions tracked by the onboard recording equipment stored under the driver's seat.Steam Railway magazine, Issue 355, 17 October – 13 November 2008, pages 60–61 After three days, ''Tornado'' had completed her first non-stop mile run and had hauled empty coaches. Following HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI), she went on to haul empty trains at speeds up to and with a load of up to around 500 tons. One load test involved a rake of 11 coaches and a Class 45 diesel locomotive, and another saw her achieve 2,000 drawbar horsepower. On 10 September ''Tornado'' was officially timed for the first time, hauling 518 tons up the 1-in-176 gradient south from Rothley station. For the GCR's Day out with Thomas event during the Summer Bank Holiday weekend, ''Tornado'' wore a small Thomas face for light runs.

''Tornado'' first passenger trains took place on 21 September 2008; the first was the 10.15 a.m. non-stop service from Quorn and Woodhouse to Leicester North.The Railway Magazine, 50 Great British Locomotives, Autumn/Winter 2008 special, p98, A bonus 51st entry: The 21st century steam miracleHeritage Railway magazine, Issue 116, 2–29 October 2008 On this day, 1,000–2,000 covenantors, donors and guests travelled on the services. The first service for fare-paying passengers began on 22 September, where over 1,000 people were carried on the three sold-out trips. On 4 October, ''Tornado'' took part in the 125th anniversary of the Boys' Brigade, wearing a special headboard and hauled the GCR's preserved Travelling Post Office train.A1 Steam Official Site
Preserved Railways. Retrieved 24 October 2008 Her final passenger run on the GCR was on 12 October, and had run by the end of the month. The president of the GCR said ''Tornado'' achieved a "smooth debut",Tornado steams into town
Darlington and Stockton Times, 22 October 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2008 and the engine was described as having performed "effortlessly" and "faultlessly".

Mainline test runs

On 21 October 2008, ''Tornado'' arrived at the National Railway Museum in York, and was first put on display in the Great Hall for several days, where she was placed on its central turntable for the annual railway industry dinner on 23 October. ''Tornado'' then remained operationally based at the NRM behind the scenes for final preparations and testing on the main line, reaching speeds of up to , before an expected main line debut in February 2009.

The acceptance testing based at York was conducted by DB Schenker.The Railway Magazine, December 2008, page 7 Three test runs were planned for 4, 6 and 18 November 2008, involving out and back journeys from York in the evenings. The first was to Scarborough, a round trip of , with a support coach only. The second was a round trip to Barrow Hill, with ''Tornado'' hauling a 500-ton load of 12 coaches and a Class 67 diesel at up to .A1 Steam Official Site
Latest News – First train on main line for new £3m steam locomotive Tornado, 6 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008 The third run was a trip to Newcastle with a rake of empty coaches that reached On this run, the web address on the side of the tender was replaced with the National Express logo. All runs were carried out successfully.It's full steam ahead for new locomotive
''The Scotsman'', 6 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008

Following the test runs, ''Tornado'' received her first full livery at the NRM's paint shop where she was painted in LNER Apple Green with "British Railways" on the tender, as worn by the first original 30 Peppercorn A1s. The livery was applied traditionally, brush painted by hand. She was unveiled on the turntable at the NRM's Great Hall on 13 December 2008 at a launch ceremony attended by 500 supporters of the A1 Trust. A dynamometer car from the North Eastern Railway was attached. Due to time constraints, detailing was completed only on one side only on one side at the time of the launch, after which ''Tornado'' returned to the paint shop before going back on display for the Christmas period.Steam Railway magazine, Issue 358, 9 January – 5 February 2009, pages 6–7 On 11 January 2009, ''Tornado'' left the NRM for preparations for her mainline passenger debut. A final test run was completed with a single support coach from York to Leeds and back, on 28 January.

Certification

As a new build locomotive, ''Tornado'' certification was more complex in comparison to a restored one and required liaison with Network Rail, HMRI, and a vehicle acceptance body, with the origin of all construction materials needing to be documented and every aspect of the manufacture recorded. Following manufacture, a technical file and Notified Body certificate was obtained on completion of a manufacturing and maintenance procedures review which was managed by DeltaRail Group Ltd. ''Tornado'' was also required to pass the 2006 European Interoperability of the conventional rail system directive, achieved through compliance with the National Notified Technical Rules (formerly the Railway Group Standards), though it was exempt from portions of the regulations, as are many mainline steam locomotives, such as from the need for a yellow warning panel or crumple zones. In liaison with Network Rail, a route acceptance strategy was agreed upon and approval for ''Tornado'' to enter service was granted by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). This was completed in two stages, approval under the Railway and Other Transport Systems regulations, for use on the GCR and other preserved lines, and then as an "interoperable" locomotive for use on the mainline network.

As well as standard tests, as technically a new design of locomotive, ''Tornado'' was required to undergo specific extra tests set by the by the Network Rail Safety Review Panel to examine ride quality and track force, in order to assess the effect the locomotive would have on the main line track. Such tests were done in part at the GCR, whereby ''Tornado'' ran through a curved section of track at Kinchley at speeds of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and , with a trailing saloon car fitted with monitoring equipment, including a GPS unit to measure the precise speed and distance travelled at every metre. Measurements were taken on board by 21 sensors measuring pitch and roll, and acceleration and deceleration. Measurements were also taken through the use of track-side sensors measuring side forces exerted on the rails, augmented with freeze-frame footage of the position of the wheels as they passed. The results were compared with control readings taken at the same site using BR Standard Class 7 70013 ''Oliver Cromwell'' two weeks later. The preliminary results were described as producing "no untoward signals".

''Tornado'' was granted an Engineering Acceptance (EA) certificate on 31 October by DeltaRail and a Route Acceptance certificate on 3 November by Network Rail, allowing testing on the main line to begin.A1 Steam Official Site
Latest News – New £3m steam locomotive Tornado takes first steps on the main line. Retrieved 4 November 2008 Further tests were performed at Network Rail facilities located between York and Darlington, at a testing facility known as a WheelChex. This consists of track fitted with sensors to measure vertical force effects such as hammer blow. Completion of a test run between York and Leeds on 28 January 2009 signalled the gaining of certification to haul passengers on the Network Rail main line.

In January 2009, the railway press reported that a discrepancy had emerged in the 18 November 2008 test, whereby the OTMR recording equipment on the Class 67 being towed had recorded a top speed of around , while the A1 data recorder measured speeds "nearer the " mark.he Railway Magazine, February 2009, page 57/ref> It was stated that while a 10% overspeed is allowed (and may be required) in such new equipment test runs ( A4 Class 4464 ''Bittern'' reached in 2007), ''Tornado'' had not been planned or authorised to do so on this test. It was suggested that the discrepancy might have been down to the equipment on the Class 67 having had its gearing altered but not having been recalibrated.

Operation

First mainline runs

It was expected that the first phase of main line operational running would be limited to trips of 200 to . The expanded water capacity of the tender allows legs of over between water stops, further than the original Peppercorn A1s. To assist in passenger operation, in 2008 the Trust purchased a Mark 1 composite corridor support coach which entered traffic in 2013. ''Tornado'' has a route availability of 9. From 2009, ''Tornado'' began to recoup the estimated £800,000 debt from the project.Steam loco in TV race challenge ''BBC News
'' 18 June 2009

On 31 January 2009, ''Tornado'' completed her first passenger trip on the British mainline, hauling ''The Peppercorn Pioneer'' in a return trip from York to Newcastle via Darlington and Durham railway station">Durham