Peter Townend, former Shed Master of the Kings Cross Top Shed, where his work brought him into constant contact with Peppercorn Class A1s in their running days. President Dorothy Mather started the CNC plasma cutter that shaped the frame plates, lit the first fire in Tornado’s firebox, and was on the footplate for the inaugural run at Darlington works, stating "My husband would be proud." Trust member Geoff Drury, who died in October 1999, was the previous owner of 60532 Blue Peter and had also saved Gresley A4 4464 Bittern, and the only other preserved Peppercorn Pacific. An attempt had been made by enthusiasts including Geoff Drury to save the last remaining A1 Peppercorn, No. 60145 Saint Mungo, however the locomotive was scrapped in the Autumn of 1966. On 15 July 2000, chairmanship of the trust changed hands to the marketing director, city director and train enthusiast Mark Allatt, due to the ill health of the incumbent's wife. Talisman railtours As part of the fundraising for the Tornado project, A1 Trust ran a number of railtours under The Talisman name, hauled by Duchess of Sutherland in 2005, Union of South Africa in 2006, and Bittern in 2008. Tornado's first public run for passengers was the Talisman on 7 February 2009, from Darlington to London King's Cross. The trip was watched by thousands of spectators along the line and by a large crowd to greet her at King's Cross. This was a positioning run for later tours, with the train returning north by diesel. Other projects Flying Scotsman tender In the autumn of 1991, the trust attempted to buy the frames of the redundant second tender of Flying Scotsman, in order to use its frames for Tornado. In 1992, No. 5332 was acquired, one of the LNER's original ten 1928 corridor tenders. The tank was removed and the frames stripped in Morpeth. In 1998, due to the cost of overhaul, conversion for roller bearings, and the trust's desire to build Tornado out of completely new parts, it was decided to sell the Flying Scotsman tender frame back to its previous owners. This sale to Flying Scotsman Railways was completed in early 2000. Other contracts In 2000 the subsidiary company had sufficient capacity to accept an external order. This was an auxiliary tender chassis for Standard Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester. This was to be the only external order as of