60163 Tornado beats the fire risk! The White Rose | 12/7/25

Today’s video is of new build LNER A1 Class 4-6-2 60163 Tornado hauling RYTC’s “The White Rose” railtour from London Kings Cross to York. The train travelled mostly on East Coast Mainline (ECML), though took the Hertford Loop line upon departure from Kings Cross as far as Stevenage. Afterwards, she remained on the ECML, travelling via Peterborough, Newark, Doncaster and then York. After servicing, the train travelled initially diesel hauled to a triangle junction at Gascoigne Wood near Selby where the train was turned, allowing 60163 to continue South through Doncaster and Lincoln to Peterborough, where she was taken off the train and the diesel returned the tour to Kings Cross. Nearly the whole of England is now covered by a red or black fire risk due to 2025 being the driest start to a year since 1976. Luckily, the ECML is the only remaining part of England with only amber fire risk, which allowed today to go ahead without a diesel rammed behind the locomotive! However, with temperatures exceeding 30*C for most of the day, the crews still took it easy. My day started out very eventfully before I’d even got to my first shot. The signallers messed around with my 08:09 Nottingham service having only just left Birmingham, resulting in a delay that made me miss my connection at Nottingham. I was forced onto the next service to Newark Castle, which arrived there at 10:28. As a result, I arrived there as 60163 was passing Grantham and had just 12 minutes to cover the mile on foot to Newark Northgate, which somehow I managed despite the heat! Tornado is seen racing through Platform 1 bathed in sunlight, much to the delight of onlookers. We were bowled, but it was a best case scenario with just the diesel being blocked by a Southbound LNER train! After, an LNER train took me North to Doncaster, where I met ‪@themodster‬ and ‪@THrailwayvideos‬. Having overtaken 60163 at its water stop in Retford, I filmed Tornado accelerating through the Down Fast line towards York. Whilst I did consider chasing up to York, but the ECML is just way too expensive sometimes lol. Instead, I headed back to Newark for a chippy break and a look around. I then travelled to Lincoln Central, in anticipation of Tornado’s return journey. Having again taken a break to look around the city, I set up on platform 4 and saw it glint through the centre road at Lincoln narrowly avoiding some crossing misuse and being bowled by the 18:30 service to Leicester. Thanks to all who made today possible, including WCR, 60163 and her crew, the trains that got me about (except that one that got delayed outside Birmingham lol) as well as everyone I spoke to and for the low fire risk despite the lovely weather. I hope you enjoy as I did!