The new express steam locomotive number 60163 Tornado is due to arrive on the West Somerset Railway on the evening of Saturday May 30th at the head of a Pathfinder Railtours excursion train from Bristol Temple Meads. The train is due at Bishops Lydeard at 6.15 p.m. and Minehead at 7.45 p.m.
The passengers will have an hour or so to enjoy the evening in Minehead before the train starts its return journey to Bristol at 8.40 p.m. but Tornado will be going no further than Bishops Lydeard as it will be working WSR trains each day between June 1st and 15th, including the "Mixed Traffic Weekend" between
June 12th and 14th.

"There has already been a terrific amount of interest in the visit of the engine", said West Somerset Railway General Manager Paul Conibeare, "following its well-publicised introduction into railway service last year after a building project that had lasted nearly twenty years. Between June 1st and 11th it will do two round trips each day from Bishops Lydeard whilst between June 12th and the 14th it will be a star attraction in the Mixed Traffic Weekend. The irony is that the Mixed Traffic event is one which
features diesel locomotives dating from the 1960's and so Tornado will actually be the most modern machine in action on those three days. On Monday June 15th it does two more round trips and then leaves the WSR to return to main line excursion train duties. We very much hope to welcome the engine
and its owners back to the Railway in the future but in the meantime we are very much looking forward to seeing and hearing this magnificent locomotive at work."