RAIL enthusiasts who supported a museum's campaign to buy a famous locomotive queued up yesterday to gain exclusive access to tickets for its inaugural journey.

First in line at the National Railway Museum (NRM), in York, was Nigel Petre, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, who secured tickets for the Flying Scotsman's trip from York to Scarborough on July 20.

Tickets for the first train of the six week summer specials are being offered exclusively to people who backed the campaign to keep the Flying Scotsman in the UK.

Andrew Scott, head of the NRM, said: "The public support for Flying Scotsman was instrumental in saving it for the nation.

"I'm quite certain that if it wasn't for their support, the museum would not have been able to secure the Flying Scotsman and there would be no glorious summer special journeys ahead of us.

"Offering the supporters exclusive access to the inaugural run is our way of saying thank you."

Tickets for the rest of the summer run went on public sale last week, selling 1,000 in the first day alone.

Published: 26/06/2004