Scotsman and Tornado storm the Nene Valley!

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By Brian Sharpe

Bad luck for Britain’s two best-known steam engines on East Coast Main Line railtours has resulted in an unexpected bonus for the Nene Valley Railway, with both engines finding themselves together on the line at the end of September.

LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman came to grief with an overheated driving wheel axlebox after a run from York to Peterborough on October 18 last year.

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LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman arrives at Wansford with a private charter for coach tour operators on September 28, passing A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, waiting to depart light engine for Peterborough Nene Valley. BRIAN SHARPE

The engine was able to move slowly round to the NVR where repairs were carried out by Riley & Son Engineering working at the line’s Wansford base. As a thank-you to the railway for the use of its facilities, the National Railway Museum made the engine available for a sell-out programme of runs on the NVR on September 30-October 2.

Meanwhile, Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado suffered lubrication problems near Biggleswade during a high-profile 90mph public run from King’s Cross to York on April 14. A diesel towed the stricken A1 and its train to Peterborough, where again the engine was fit in September to commence running in on the NVR to accumulate mileage before returning to main line service.

Read more and view more images in Issue 247 of HR – on sale now!

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