This picture (left) could have been taken in 1948 but was actually taken last month. It shows my 1951 BSA C11 next to Tornado, which was the first steam locomotive built in Britain for 50 years in 2008.
Both machines have a connection with Darlington. Tornado, a Peppercorn class loco, was built by enthusiasts in Darlington from the original 1948 design documents held in the National Railway Museum (there were no surviving examples).
The motorcycle was sold by Messrs White Bros of High Northgate, Darlington, in June 1951.
I found it in a derelict barn next to the Richmond branch line in 1971 in a poor state so got it for £2. HN is a Darlington series registration.
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(Tornado was visiting the Wensleydale railway).
Alan Graham
Leyburn, N Yorks.
Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Features in the September 2019 issue of OBM – on sale now!
