GIANT steam locomotive Tornado will boil 66 gallons (or 300 litres of water) a minute when it races through Basingstoke on Monday hauling the luxury Northern Belle train.

That’s the equivalent of approximately 11,000 kettles all boiling at once.

The special train will mark the 90th anniversary of the first running of the celebrated Bournemouth Belle Pullman express from London on July 5, 1931.

It will stop to pick up passengers at Woking and is scheduled to pass through Basingstoke at 10.52am on the way to Bournemouth and then at 7.51pm on the way home, although these times may change by a few minutes either way.

Scores of railway enthusiasts and trainspotters are expected to turn out to see the train, but a Northern Belle spokesman has urged people to take care and be aware of social distancing.

Tickets have almost sold out despite costing a whopping £399 a head – compared to about six shillings (or 30p in today’s money) to travel to Bournemouth back in the 30s.

But for that passengers will tuck into a three-course brunch on the outward journey and then after spending the afternoon in the resort will rejoin the train for a champagne reception followed by a slap-up five-course dinner with wine on the way home.

Northern Belle sales director Howard Barclay said: “People will be pampered from the minute they step aboard until the moment they leave. Nothing is too good for our passengers.

“We have mouth-watering food, delicious wines, aperitifs, cocktails and champagnes – we even have our own special Rail Ale real ale from an award-winning brewery.”

Tornado, which is capable of reaching 100mph, was the first steam locomotive to be built in Britain for more first than 50 years when it first ran in 2008.

It is a replica of the A1 “Peppercorn” class of steam engines that once hauled crack express trains between London and Scotland.

TV star Bill Nighy earlier this year described the Northern Belle, which was once part of the Orient Express group, as “the Grand Duchess of luxury”.

If you miss Monday’s train, it will be back in London in December when there will be a slap-up Christmas Lunch champagne special excursion from London.

For more details, see www.northernbelle.co.uk.