MUSEUM bosses were stunned when around 11,000 rail fans flocked to the opening day of an exhibition featuring the world record breaking Mallard.

Staff at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon, in County Durham, hoped The Great Goodbye, featuring Mallard and its five remaining A4 class sister engines, would attract 72,000 visitors during its nine day run.

When it opened on Saturday the exhibition brought in nearly 11,000 visitors and estimates by museum staff point to there being an even bigger crowd today (Sunday, February 16).

The six sister locomotives were brought together from across the globe to mark the 75th anniversary of Mallard becoming the world’s fastest steam engine when it reached 125.88mph on July 3, 1938.

Senior curator Anthony Coulls said: "We expected lots of people, but it's been fantastic. This has blown us away.

"People from across the world, and even the flood hit South-West, have travelled here.

"There are diesel engines which run at the same speed as Mallard and no-one 's bothered about them, but they're happy to queue to see the 76-year-old Mallard and the other A4s."

The Great Goodbye features the last six remaining A4 locomotives- Mallard, Bittern, Sir Nigel Gresley, Dominion of Canada, Union of South Africa and Dwight D Eisenhower. Dwight D Eisenhower and Dominion of Canada are on loan from American and Canadian museums.

All six are together for what could be the last time ever and in one week will be transported back to their homes, thousands of miles apart.

There was such a clamber to see the line-up at the weekend that traffic around Shildon was slowed to a crawl and extra parking space and train services had to be created.

At the museum visitors stood for half an hour to gain access to the engine's cabs.

Derek Eccles, 62, of Leeming Village, North Yorkshire, said: "I saw Mallard running in its heyday and it set the world record just after I was born.

"It's good to see them as some of the engines have travelled a long way to be here.

“It's a shame that they're going to be split up after the event and we'll never see them together again."

Stuart Bird, a Locomotion volunteer and Shildon Town councillor, said: "The atmosphere has been amazing.

"This will certainly put Shildon back on the map.

“These are the greatest series of engines to grace the London and North-Eastern Railway line."

The Great Goodbye runs until Sunday, February 23, 9.30am to 5pm, free entry. Parking costs £3.

Details available on 01388-777999 or at nrm.org.uk/PlanaVisit/VisitShildon