Arthur H Peppercorn was the last
Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER),
and his A1 design was the last in the line of express steam locos for the
East Coast Main line. Forty-nine were built in 1948 and 1949, but all were
withdrawn by 1966, replaced by diesels after only a 16 year life.
A Trust
was set up in 1990 with the aim of building a modern A1. Eighteen years and
£3m later, the dream came to fruition in Darlington, when Tornado steamed in
July 2008. It has since achieved fame, even featuring in the BBC's Top Gear,
with Jeremy Clarkson on the footplate!
The diamond-engraved gold-plated Key Tags are supplied in a presentation box:
