Iconic steam train to make a comeback this summer – and it will be travelling through 7 UK counties

AN ICONIC steam train is set to return this summer, travelling through seven UK counties.

Steam train fans will be eager to catch a glimpse of the 60163 Tornado, which departs from London Waterloo on August 16 before heading towards Woking and Basingstoke.

PA:Press AssociationThe iconic 60163 Tornado[/caption] Times Newspapers LtdThe locomotive can reach speeds of a whopping 100mph[/caption] AlamyIt will depart from London Waterloo on August 16[/caption]

The LNER Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive had been kept off the tracks for several years due to a major overhaul.

It will follow the classic route of the old “ACE” trains, which travelled along the South West coast before reaching the historic city of Exeter.

The iconic steam train will then head back, passing through Bristol and Bath before returning to London.

Kelly Osborne, managing director of The Railway Touring Company, said: “We are delighted to be working with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to provide opportunities for people from Woking and Basingstoke to travel with Tornado and for many more to see the locomotive in action.

“It is very exciting that Tornado will be back on the national rail network.”

The locomotive can reach speeds of a whopping 100mph, making it one of the fastest steam trains to run since the 1960s.

The 60163 Tornado made headlines when it was launched in 2008 as the first mainline steam locomotive built in the UK since 1960.

Since its debut, the iconic train has appeared on the big screen in Paddington 2 and on TV shows like Top Gear.

Steam train lovers will have to fork out £130 for a standard adult ticket.

For those wanting a more luxurious experience, premier class tickets will cost £335 and include a full English breakfast and a four-course dinner, served with silver service on board.

It comes after train enthusiasts went steam mad after a 93-year-old heritage locomotive was secretly sold to Japan to become a Harry Potter exhibit.

Originally green, Dumbleton Hall was painted bright red to look like the Hogwarts Express in the wizarding film franchise.

It was hidden under tarpaulin, transported on a low-loader to Southampton Dock and shipped to Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter, which opened last year.

Dumbleton Hall was built in 1929 before being withdrawn from service in 1965.

Its sister locomotive, Olton Hall, was the train featured in the movies and is now at the Harry Potter Experience near Watford.

Dumbleton Hall was rescued from a scrapyard in the 1970s for £4,400 by Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, eventually moving to the South Devon Railway Trust (SDRT).

But last year, West Coast Railways bought it for £300,000.

They reportedly sold it to Warner Bros for £1million.

David Long, of Dumbleton Hall Locomotive Trust, said: “We didn’t work hard to create a saleable asset that will now be denied to all of us.

“This should be a wake-up call to all volunteers.”

SDRT’s Ernest Elsworth-Wilson said: “We thought it would be operating here but they sold it on.

“We didn’t have any clue it was going to Japan.”

But Richard Elliot, ex-general manager of SDRT, said: “It’s probably better off in Japan where it’s being looked after instead of gathering moss.”

West Coast Railways boss David Smith did not respond to requests for comment.