Locomotive 60163 Tornado was booked to head The Great Northern, a Vintage Trains Settle-Carlisle railtour from Birmingham to Carlisle on 26 September, in the line’s 150th year of passenger services.

Close view of steam locomotive 60163 Tornado passing Oakleigh Park station
No. 60163 Tornado passes the platform at Oakleigh Park. Photo: beareye2010 / CC0 1.0

The itinerary had the train leaving Birmingham New Street in the morning and picking up at Coleshill Parkway, Tamworth, Derby and Wakefield Kirkgate before turning west in Yorkshire to join the Settle-Carlisle line. For the full day out, Vintage Trains listed an earliest departure of 6:10 and a journey time of 17 hours 49 minutes.

Out over the Pennines, back along the East Coast Main Line

The tour was planned as a loop rather than an out-and-back run. After several hours in Carlisle, the itinerary took the train east over the Tyne Valley line to Newcastle and then south on the East Coast Main Line.

The operator described that stretch as home territory for Tornado, whose owner, the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, is based at Darlington Locomotive Works. Under the plan, the locomotive was to leave the train at Darlington, with diesel traction taking passengers the rest of the way.

Neither Vintage Trains nor the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has published a report on the day, so the whole run, including the return journey and the handover at Darlington, is described here as planned.

The Great Northern, 26 September 2026: route and traction as planned by Vintage Trains
Stage Section Planned traction
1 Birmingham New Street to Yorkshire, calling at Coleshill Parkway, Tamworth, Derby and Wakefield Kirkgate 60163 Tornado
2 West from Yorkshire and over the Settle-Carlisle line to Carlisle 60163 Tornado
3 Stop in Carlisle of several hours —
4 East from Carlisle on the Tyne Valley line to Newcastle 60163 Tornado
5 South on the East Coast Main Line from Newcastle to Darlington 60163 Tornado
6 Darlington to the end of the journey Diesel locomotive

The whole day was planned at 17 hours 49 minutes, with the earliest departure at 6:10. The table shows the itinerary as planned. Source: Vintage Trains, The Great Northern.

The Settle-Carlisle line at 150

The first passenger train crossed the Ribblehead Viaduct on the 73-mile route on 1 May 1876. The groups that promote the line are marking the anniversary with events throughout 2026, including a steam charter from Carlisle to York planned for 25 May.

Tornado and Vintage Trains

The trust and Vintage Trains have worked together for many years, but in March 2024 the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said that ‘The Ribblehead Rambler’ of 29 June 2024 would be the first train Vintage Trains had worked with Tornado. That tour was also routed over the Settle-Carlisle line and followed a £1m overhaul of the locomotive.

The next main line date on the trust’s railtour list is 14 November. Tornado is due to haul ‘The Cathedral’s Express’ to Edinburgh, taking over the train at Darlington for the run along the East Coast Main Line.