Five facts you need to know about 60163 Tornado steam locomotive

2. Why number 60163?

There was a formal launch on November 17, 1990 which was attended by 80 people. The trust announced that the locomotive would carry the number 60163, following on from BR 61062 Saint Johnstown, but the name Tornado had not been chosen at this early stage. A pledge of £50,000 sponsorship from New Cavendish saw owner Allan Levy select the name Tornado for 60163, as tribute to the RAF crews that were engaged in the Gulf war that was being fought at the time.

3. Was the 60163 Tornado meant to be oil-fired?

Yes, originally, Tornado was planned to be powered by oil, but this proposal was dropped on economic grounds, and instead, the trust opted for conventional coal firing. The locomotive is able to carry 7.5 tons of coal and has a water capacity of 6200 gallons, with coal capacity being sacrificed in favour of water. The tendor also utilises the pick-up space and has additional volume added around the top filter. The A1 is also fitted with a sophisticated electrical system.

4. By 1992, the trust had carried out detailed examinations on almost 400 documents held at the National Railway Museum

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust needed to determine what aspects of the original design had to be modified and updated to align with the modern rail standards. The trust had also produced a computerised catalogue of a further 300 drawings, cross-referenced from those already examined.

The trust put a proposal forward to the National Railway Museum to digitally scan the original drawings to provide a compact and convenient means of storage and reproduction. This move would also allow the trust to convert the scanned drawings into vector form or modification using a computer aided design (CAD) system.