THE ABERDONIAN STEAM RAILTOUR [A1 No 60163 Tornado] - Thursday 12th August

The Aberdonian Steam Railtour (A1 Steam Locomotive Trust)
Steam hauled by Class A1 No 60163 Tornado (Pictured above)

60163 Depart; Edinburgh Waverley @09:39(pu) - Forth Bridge - Kirkcaldy - Perth - Dundee - Montrose - Aberdeen.

Let the ‘The Aberdonian’ whisk you away as we take in some of the best that Scotland has to offer, both on train and off. Crossing the Forth Bridge, the train runs along the coast for much of its route making it an unrivalled way to experience Scotland. In Aberdeen there is a chance to explore this historic city, or take one of our off train excursions that include a castle or distillery visit. On board the train you can sit back in comfortable seats and large windows through which to admire the scenery. Our friendly team will look after you, and if you choose to dine with us you will be treated to fine Scottish fare. Come and travel with us as Tornado runs regularly over this historic route.

Our journey begins in Scotland’s capital and its imposing Waverley station, right in the heart of the city, in the shadow of the Castle. Tornado steams through Princes Street Gardens and pauses to pick up further passengers at Haymarket station in the west of the city. From there we leave the city surroundings and pass open countryside before our train will start to slow. The Forth Bridge is one of the wonders of the modern world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, crossing over 350ft above the water and stretching over one and a half miles in length. First opened in 1890, Tornado will lead our train across this magnificent structure giving amazing views of the Firth of Forth and we cross into the Kingdom of Fife. The railway follows the coast line through Inverkeithing and Burntisland where the city of Edinburgh can be seen across the Forth. Approaching Kirkcaldy the route turns north whilst remaining alongside the coast, but once we leave the town behind we move into the rich countryside of Fife with its farming communities and many golf courses.

The route is then via Perth and follow the route of the River Tay to Dundee.  Our departure from Dundee is through tunnels under the city, and we exit the city and head alongside the River Tay out as far as the world-famous golf course of Carnoustie. We then continue alongside the river as we make our way eastwards passing the coastal town of Arbroath, famous for its Smokie’s which are still produced in the town. Our route takes switches from running along the coast to diving inland and back again before crossing the Montrose Basin with the railway sandwiched between the water and Montrose itself. As we leave Montrose behind we are running through the stunning Scottish countryside as we leave the coast behind for a while. Passing through Laurencekirk and Fordoun and Drumlithie it is a chance to see the lush and unspoiled country for which Scotland is rightly proud.

The service will depart from Edinburgh Waverley  9:39am and the return will get you back into the capital late evening so a long day of touring and plenty of value for money around some of the best scenery on offer.

Steam Hauled by A1 Class Pacific '60163 Tornado'
The original Peppercorn A1 series were ordered by the LNER, but the 49 locomotives were built at Doncaster and Darlington for British Railways (BR) in 1948–49, after the nationalisation of the railways in the United Kingdom. Following the modernisation and dieselisation plans of the 1950s, the A1 Peppercorn class was eventually scrapped at a comparatively early age of just 15 years.

The original Peppercorn A1s were designed to cope with the heaviest regular post-war East Coast trains. The A1 Trust intended Tornado to be built from scratch, designed and built as the next locomotive in the A1 Peppercorn class, not as a replica or restoration project, but an evolution of the class incorporating design improvements that would have occurred had steam motive power continued on the mainline railway.
  
Tornado moved under its own power for the first time on 29th July 2008 at Darlington, and then spent two months at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough, where it was tested up to 60 mph (97 km/h) and operated its first passenger train. Tornado then moved to the National Railway Museum (NRM) in York for three test runs on the main line up to 75 mph (121 km/h). After repainting from works grey into LNER Apple Green, Tornado was approved for mainline passenger operation. On 31st January 2009 Tornado hauled its first passenger trip on the main line, The Peppercorn Pioneer, from York to Newcastle and back. By hauling various A1 Trust railtours, charters and other activities, Tornado will begin to recoup the estimated £800,000 debt from the project, which cost around £3 million.