THE Scotsman is flying again. Thousands of people lined every bridge and road on the railway route from York to Scarborough to see the world's most famous locomotive in action.

This was the moment rail enthusiasts everywhere had waited for. It was their support for the Flying Scotsman which ensured a glorious triumph for the National Railway Museum's campaign to keep the engine in Britain.

For older generations the sight of the train at full pelt will have recalled a golden age when we led the world in engineering innovation.

The rest of us can only look back in wonder at a time when Britons regarded their railways with unfettered pride.

Updated: 11:07 Wednesday, July 21, 2004