Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon and The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust are delighted to announce that Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado will visit the museum during Spring 2010, and will participate in an exciting programme of special events.

Britain’s newest steam locomotive, Tornado, will arrive at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon in late April, and will be on display inside the museum’s Collection Building from Monday April 26 to Friday April 30.   A knowledgeable team of volunteers from The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust will be on hand to tell Tornado’s story - from the discovery of the surviving drawings of the Peppercorn Class A1s right up to the present day. What’s more, for a small additional charge, visitors will have the chance to access Tornado’s footplate, where they can see the controls and gain an insight into the experiences of an engine driver.

On the evening of Wednesday April 28, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust Director of Engineering, David Elliott, will give an illustrated talk covering the epic story of how a conversation in a pub turned into a generation-long struggle to build a steam locomotive from scratch!  The talk, starting at 7pm, will take place in the museum’s Collection Building, alongside the locomotive. Admission is by pre-booked ticket only, and places are limited. Tickets are on sale now, priced £5 per person – for more information, or to book, please contact Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon on 01388 771439.

On the Bank Holiday weekend of Saturday May 1, Sunday May 2 and Monday May 3, Tornado will be starring in a fabulous ‘North Eastern Giants of Steam’ gala event at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon. This is your chance to see the locomotive in light steam and – for a small additional charge – access the locomotive’s cab.  At the event you’ll also be able to see another Peppercorn-designed locomotive in light steam – as the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s K1 class locomotive 62005 Lord of the Isles will be on display.  In addition – for a small additional charge – visitors will be able to enjoy a steam train ride, with two locomotives operating the museum’s passenger service during the event. 

Furness Railway No. 20, built in 1863, is the oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive in the UK and a remarkable survivor from a bygone era. NELPG’s J72 class locomotive 69023 Joem was built in Darlington, and has recently been restored by a dedicated team of volunteers, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Railway and photography enthusiasts will have the chance to see all of these fabulous locomotives being prepared for the day ahead and in light steam at an early-bird photography session on Sunday May 2. 

Admission to this session, which starts at 7.30am, is by pre-booked ticket only, and numbers are limited. Tickets are on sale now, priced £5 – for more information, or to book, please call Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon on 01388 771439.