THE FIRST new mainline steam locomotive to be built in Britain for almost half a century will make a historic visit to Swanage on Wednesday, June 16.

The engine, a London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No 60163, named the Tornado, will haul a train from London Waterloo as part of a special one-off excursion.

It is scheduled to arrive at Swanage’s railway station at lunchtime and depart later that day.

Swanage Railway commercial manager Martin Payne said: “How Tornado came to be built is an epic tale of how a conversation in a pub turned into a generation-long struggle to build a new steam locomotive from scratch.”

It cost £3million to build the engine, which took to the rails in 2008 after 18 years of fundraising and building by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

Mr Payne said: “The story of Tornado’s fundraising and construction has been one that has gone from dream to steam and we’re very proud to be having the locomotive bringing a main line excursion train from London down to Swanage.”

The locomotive was officially named Tornado by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

A chance discovery at York’s railway museum, of surviving drawings of the original Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotives, is where the Tornado story started.

The project to build the engine, which is based at Hither Green in London, was launched in 1990.

Mr Payne said: “Tornado has had a hectic first year of main line operations stretching right across the country. We are delighted to be welcoming her to Swanage Railway when she brings some 500 people to the town.”