Tornado, the first new main line steam locomotive to be built in Britain since 1960, will make her 2011 tour début in her new coat of Brunswick Green paint with ‘The White Rose’ from London King’s Cross to Leeds and back. This very special train is being promoted by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the registered charity which built and now operates Tornado.
In the 1950s the Peppercorn class A1s handled many of the London to Leeds services, including ‘The White Rose’, and on Saturday 26th February 2011 Tornado will head out from King’s Cross for Leeds via Peterborough, Doncaster and Wakefield. The train will also call additionally at Stevenage and Peterborough to pick up passengers before heading on for a brief stop at Wakefield and then onto Leeds. Provisional timings are:
| Station | Outward | Return |
| London King’s Cross | 0830 | 2100 |
| Stevenage | 0900 | 2030 |
| Peterborough | 1015 | 1900 |
| Wakefield Westgate | 1210 | 1705 |
| Leeds | 1230 | 1645 |
There will be three classes of travel offered on this train, Premier Dining Class including a Champagne breakfast on the outward leg of the journey and a four course meal on the return. First Class non-dining seats, where you will receive complimentary tea and coffee throughout the day, are also available, as are standard class seats, both of which have access to a well stocked buffet car.
| Class | Adult | Child |
| Premier Dining* | £185 | £159 |
| First Class | £109 | £95 |
| Standard Class | £79 | £69 |
*note guaranteed table for two - £25 per table
Tickets can be purchased from the Trust’s booking agent Steam Dreams (Web: www.steamdreams.com; Tel: 01483 209888; Email: info@steamdreams.co.uk )
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust added:
“The Trust is delighted to announce that Tornado’s début in her new Brunswick Green livery will be on ‘The White Rose’ from London King’s Cross to Leeds on Saturday 26th February next year following her repaint as part of her winter maintenance programme. This special train is being promoted by The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust but tickets are available to the general public.”
The original Peppercorn class A1s carried several liveries during their relatively short lives – LNER Apple Green (with ‘British Railways’ on the tender), BR Express Passenger Blue (with the BR crest on the tender) and Brunswick Green (with both the BR crest and emblem on the tender). The Trust has previously announced that Tornado will carry all four historic A1 liveries during her first ten years of operation although her ‘core’ livery will remain Apple Green.