A1SLT reveals new name for railtour business

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has renamed its railtours business from Tornado Railtours to 21st Century Steam Ltd. Since 2006, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has run its own railtours with No. 60163 Tornado, a locomotive which shot to fame as the first main line steam locomotive to be built in the UK in over 50 years. In 2019 booking for its tours was taken in-house, and its new website is now live.

With one eye on its next new build locomotive, No. 2007 Prince of Wales, entering the fleet in the near future, the new brand represents the tours it runs – uniquely, with locomotives built in the 21st century at the head of all trains.

21st Century Steam Ltd. said, "Not only does the name reflect our modern steam engines, it evokes nostalgia of the 20th Century Limited (streamlined train between New York and Chicago) which, with its spectacularly understated style, epitomised the notion that the journey was as important as the destination. The rebrand coincides with a movement to develop the on board experience from Tourist Class to Premier Dining, bringing the golden age of steam to each of our memorable journeys."

The first tours to be introduced by 21st Century Steam Ltd. will be ‘The Aberdonian’ series of trains in Scotland this summer, with Tornado fresh from overhaul. For further details on its trains, visit the 21st Century Steam Ltd. website.