PACIFIC POWER: ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado emerges from Christleton Tunnels with The Railway Touring Company’s July 15 ‘Cheshireman’ which ran steamhauled throughout from Euston to Chester along the West Coast Main Line via Northampton and Crewe. Photographer Phil Jones writes:
“My dad used to do this shot in the late 1970s and early 80s, but it has not been possible to do in my lifetime due to the dense undergrowth.
However, at the beginning of this year, massive tree clearance has really opened the shot up again. We have been waiting for a train to come along in an early afternoon path, which happened on July 15. Fortunately, the cold damp darkness of the tunnels provided the right conditions for a little bit of steam. By the time it had gone past us, the exhaust was gone.”