Tornado at York on 14th December - Michael Barnes
As we begin the new year it is worth recording the busy period that preceded the festive break and the start of winter maintenance. With the diary already well filled,
Tornado was then asked to work an additional three trips to help cover for other locomotives that were unavailable. This meant short notice visits to Cardiff, Chester and Edinburgh. The locomotive worked six trains in fifteen days covering well over 2000 miles. This was a great testament to the endeavours of our support crew and engineers who earned their rest over the festive season.
Looking into 2020, a busy programme is planned that will take the locomotive across the nation. We start our own tours with a fabulous trip over the Settle and Carlisle railway on the 4
th April, and we make a long-awaited return to the Cumbrian Coast on the 2
nd May. In a first for
Tornado, we will be departing from Liverpool, something that is long overdue. This crackerjack of a tour takes us on to Manchester and then via the glorious Hope Valley and through the Peak District on our way to York. The return is via the scenic Calder Valley route as we head back to Manchester and Liverpool. This trip coincides with the VE Day celebrations where will be a 1940s theme on board, so we encourage
everyone to dress accordingly! These three tours are a great way to kick off the programme and we have further tours, including departures from popular Midlands stations, as we work through the year.
After a successful first season, ‘The Aberdonian’ will run through the summer visiting the Forth Bridge and running alongside the River Tay and the North Sea coast on what is one of the most spectacular journeys in the UK. With an ever-changing view, steam era semaphore signalling and a great destination, if you haven’t tried ‘The Aberdonian’ yet then perhaps this year is the time to give it a go...
Tornado crosses the Royal Border Bridge on 21st December - Henry Elliott