THE Prince of Wales today paid tribute to British engineering as the first new main line steam engine to be built in this country for nearly 50 years was officially named.

Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were in York to name the new Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive, the Tornado, which was built in Darlington.

Hundreds of onlookers and steam train enthusiasts packed the platform's at York's historic railway station to catch a glimpse of the royal couple and the new train.

At times Charles was enveloped in clouds of steam and smoke during the short naming ceremony.

He told the onlookers: "I have nothing but the greatest admiration for the team of people who over the last 19 years have been doing their utmost to produce this remarkable achievement.

"A tribute to all of those incredible British engineering skills which made this country so famous."

Charles went on to praise the volunteers for all their dedication in producing the new locomotive.

He joked that he was exactly the same age as the first A1 locomotive, which was built in 1948. He added "a very good vintage, I promise you".

The loco was built by engineers in Darlington after railway enthusiasts raised more than £3m to fund it.

It made its first main line journey on January 31, carrying paying passengers from York to Newcastle.

At one point Charles took off his brown overcoat and donned a blue jacket as he climbed aboard the steam engine.

He spent several minutes chatting to the crew and inspecting the controls.

Moments later two Hawk jets and a Tornado F3 performed a fly-past high above the station.

The A1 steam engines were designed by Arthur Peppercorn, the last chief mechanical engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.

They became the last model of express passenger steam locomotives operating on the East Coast Main Line.

In 1990, the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust launched a campaign to build a new operational steam train for the East Coast Line.

During today's ceremony the Trust's president, and Mr Peppercorn's widow, Dorothy Mather, met the royal couple.

Later, Charles and Camilla will take part in a series of other engagements in Yorkshire.

They headed off to Leeds in the royal train which was pulled by the new engine.

Full report and pictures of the special event in tomorrow's The Northern Echo. A video will also be available online