Steam train up to speed in passenger service railway test

LONDON — A steam train clocked 161 kilometers per hour on Britain’s mainline railway network for the first time in almost 50 years on Wednesday.

Tornado, a Peppercorn-class A1 steam locomotive, reached the landmark speed during a test run aimed at proving it can operate passenger services at 145 km/h.

A steam locomotive has not hit 161 km/h in Britain since 1968, according to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Built by heritage enthusiasts, Tornado hit the three-figure speed on the East Coast Main Line — the route between London and Edinburgh — during a run between Doncaster and Newcastle in northern England.

The test run was part of a bid to raise Tornado’s speed limit for passenger services from 121 km/h to 145 km/h by the end of this year.

Preservation steam locomotives have been restricted to 121 km/h since the end of steam services on the mainlines in the 1960s.

Tornado was the first steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost half a century when it was completed in 2008.

If Tornado can run at 145 km/h it will be able to fit in better with other trains on the busy main railway lines.

Pulling passenger carriages on Wednesday on a secret run, it ran at 10 percent above the 145 km/h mark to demonstrate a sufficient safety margin.

We are delighted to have completed the tests that move us one step closer to 161 km/h.” Graeme Bunker-James, operations director of A1 Trust

“We are delighted to have completed the test runs that move us one step closer to 161 km/h operations with Tornado,” said Graeme Bunker James, operations director for the A 1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

“This will allow us to ensure that the locomotive continues to haul trains on the busiest parts of the UK network, allowing as many people as possible to enjoy traveling with Tornado.

“As part of these tests, the locomotive operated at 90 mph for a sustained period and also achieved 100 mph under these special conditions and running with clear signals.”

Workers on the locomotive, their faces blackened, celebrated with a cup of tea after hitting the landmark.

The world speed record for a steam locomotive is 203 km/h, set by the Mallard further south on the same railway line in 1938.