Royal couple name new steam train

The first mainline steam engine to be built in Britain for nearly 50 years has been officially named by the Prince of Wales.

The Peppercorn class A1 Pacific steam locomotive has been named Tornado at York railway station.

Its �3m engine was built from scratch in Darlington over 18 years with donations from enthusiasts.

The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall also undertook a series of other visits in North and West Yorkshire.

The locomotive was designed by Arthur Peppercorn, the last chief mechanical engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.

Hospice visit

In 1990, the Darlington-based charity A1 Steam Locomotive Trust started a campaign to build a new operational steam train for the East Coast line.

Earlier this month, Tornado made its first long-distance passenger trip to London.

The trust's president and Mr Peppercorn's widow Dorothy Mather met Prince Charles and Camilla during the ceremony.

Afterwards the steam engine pulled the Royal Train to Leeds where the couple carried out other visits.

These included a tour of Leeds Grand Theatre and a visit to Opera North and the Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract.

The prince also visited the new Breast Cancer Haven in Leeds, while the duchess toured RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire.

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