NORTH-EAST train enthusiasts had the rare pleasure of seeing a Deltic diesel locomotive pass through the region at the weekend.
The first Deltic-hauled train for nearly two years travelled from Kings Cross to Edinburgh on Saturday.
The Deltic Preservation Society-run Thales Flyer excursion was hauled by Deltic 55019, named Royal Highland Fusilier.
It passed through Darlington station heading north and south - this year is the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Deltic Prototype on to British Railways in 1955.
It was as long ago as December 31, 1981, when a Deltic diesel locomotive last hauled a scheduled passenger train for the then British Rail.
Once a familiar sight in the region, the Deltics carried passengers to destinations such as Newcastle, York, Kings Cross and Edinburgh.
The powerful diesel locomotives were the mainstay of the East Coast Main Line throughout the 1960s and 1970s and helped speed up the train services at the end of steam through to the advent of the Inter City 125 High Speed Trains.
The Deltic Preservation Society was formed in 1977, with the aim of preserving one locomotive.
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