On the Railways of Britain steam locomotives return
For the first time in 50 years on the main line of British Railways steam locomotive returns. Coal-fired LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado has been successfully tested at speeds of 161 km/h, and can now be used on the Railways of the country along with diesel locomotives and electric locomotives. Reported by the New Atlas.
After the war, in the UK, built and put into operation of about ten steam locomotives A1, which have different reliability and cheapness of operation. However, in 1966 the government took a radical decision to completely abandon steam traction on the Railways, and all the locomotives were shipped to the smelter. Only in the late 1990s, the enthusiasts built a steam locomotive A1 class according to the old drawings.
Tornado has been in operation since 2008, but previously, he traveled with a maximum speed of 121 km/h, which made it impossible to use on major Railways. Only now, under the supervision of engineers and experts in certification, Tornado A1 first drove at high speed between Doncaster and Newcastle. Until the end of 2017, he must pass all additional tests and come to the Railways of the country.