A LEGACY of North-East engineering has seen the romance of steam returning to the railways for the first scheduled steam train mainline service in half a century.

Tornado, built from scratch in Darlington by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, carried hundreds of passengers as it carved its way through snow-capped scenery in the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria today.

The historic journey marked the first time in 50 years that a steam engine has replaced regular train passenger services.

The Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive hauled seven carriages on the Settle to Carlisle line – linking North Yorkshire to Cumbria – for its first of two daily timetabled return trips until Thursday, February 16.

Tornado was completed in August 2008 after 18 years of fundraising £3m and construction work to resurrect Darlington’s celebrated history of rail exports.

Since the Pacific No. 60163 Tornado first took to the tracks nine years ago, it has seen service on the Network Rail mainline and heritage railways across Great Britain.

However, an initiative organised by Northern Rail, Network Rail and the Friends of Settle and Carlisle will see the engine travelling between Appleby, in Cumbria, to Skipton, in North Yorkshire for the special services.

The loco left Appleby Station at 8.25am this morning before thundering past thousands of rail enthusiasts who made the pilgrimage to Ribblehead Viaduct for a glimpse of Tornado in action.

However, those unable to travel on the engine are being urged to respect the railways while trying to see Tornado on the tracks.

British Transport Police Inspector Neil Hubbs, said: “We understand people are excited about seeing the Tornado and want them to enjoy the occasion and, of course, have a great day out.

“Our priority is the safety of the public and passengers viewing and travelling on the train.

“The railway is a hazardous environment and we urge people who are planning on attending to use safe vantage points to view and take pictures of the train, stay clear of the line and not to risk their lives and the lives of others by trespassing on the tracks, and to respect local landowners by not trespassing on any private land.”

Loco fans have already booked almost all of the reserved seats for the journeys – around half of the 500 seats available for each trip.

However, queues are expected for the remaining unsold unreserved tickets for tomorrow and Thursday.

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust named the Peppercorn class A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, after the RAF aircraft, at its Darlington Locomotive Works.

The loco is fitted with additional water capacity and the latest railway safety electronics to guarantee is place on modern mainline railways for future generations.

For more information on the Tornado’s travels or to get involved with the Trust, visit a1steam.com or email enquiries@a1steam.com