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| New steam train makes London trip | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The first new mainline steam engine to be built in Britain for nearly five decades has made its first long-distance passenger trip into London. | |
| The train set off from Darlington at 0745 GMT and arrived at London King's Cross station shortly after 1400 GMT. | |
| Enthusiasts in Darlington raised £3m to build the Peppercorn class A1 Pacific locomotive, which has taken 19 years. | Enthusiasts in Darlington raised £3m to build the Peppercorn class A1 Pacific locomotive, which has taken 19 years. |
| The Tornado train consisted of 13 carriages, equating to about 500 tons, and ran at speeds of up to 75mph. | |
| Additional passengers were picked up at York and the train passed through stations including Newark, Peterborough and Potter's Bar before arriving in London. | |
| Although it does of course create some smoke, actually pulling 500 people with a steam engine is quite... efficient Robert Morland, A1 Steam Locomotive Trust | Although it does of course create some smoke, actually pulling 500 people with a steam engine is quite... efficient Robert Morland, A1 Steam Locomotive Trust |
| The Tornado is apple green, the colour carried by the first 30 Peppercorn class A1s, and it began taking fare-paying passengers on 31 January. | |
| Robert Morland from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said: "We built it to the original plans and drawings which came from 1948, so the engine is completely new but it is as it would have been as one of the original engines." | Robert Morland from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said: "We built it to the original plans and drawings which came from 1948, so the engine is completely new but it is as it would have been as one of the original engines." |
| The train's headlamps, signalling system and onboard voyage data recorder or "black box" are powered by electricity, he added. | The train's headlamps, signalling system and onboard voyage data recorder or "black box" are powered by electricity, he added. |
| Mr Morland denied the steam engine posed a health risk. | Mr Morland denied the steam engine posed a health risk. |
| "The approach to steam has changed in the last few years but once you have your engine fully certified for the mainline there isn't really a problem," he said. | "The approach to steam has changed in the last few years but once you have your engine fully certified for the mainline there isn't really a problem," he said. |
| "Although it does of course create some smoke, actually pulling 500 people with a steam engine is quite an efficient way of transporting people." | "Although it does of course create some smoke, actually pulling 500 people with a steam engine is quite an efficient way of transporting people." |
| Trust chairman Mark Allatt said: "Tornado's first train to London is the opening of a new chapter in the story of a project that many said could never be completed." | Trust chairman Mark Allatt said: "Tornado's first train to London is the opening of a new chapter in the story of a project that many said could never be completed." |