TOURISTS flocked to York and North Yorkshire to enjoy a sunny Bank Holiday weekend - and a feast of railway fun.

Many of the visitors had come to welcome Flying Scotsman to York, and to enjoy the RailFest celebrations at the National Railway Museum (NRM).

A museum spokeswoman said more than 21,000 hads visited the exhibition over the weekend.

Mike Hartley, landlord of the King's Arms on King's Staith, York, said the weekend's trading had been "absolutely marvellous".

He said: "It's been superb. There have been a lot of tourists. We've had a lot of feedback because of the Flying Scotsman.

"We've had more people than we expected - it's been excellent."

But RailFest visitors were not just to be found in York.

Roland Firby, of Hovingham, said his farm bed and breakfast business had been full throughout, the weekend with visitors coming to enjoy the nine-day festival.

He said: "One family have asked if they could stay an extra night because they enjoyed the area so much." Joan Turnbull, who runs the Green Lea Guest House in Sinnington, said she had been "chock-a-block" all weekend.

In Scarborough, tourists thronged along the sea front yesterday.

Peter Kitson, landlord of The Golden Ball pub in Sandside, on Scarborough sea front, said: "It's been nice weather - there's been a good Bank Holiday crowd.

"There has been a lot of people walking about. We've been very busy - I'm really pleased."

But the warm weather meant some attractions fared less well than they had last year.

Helen Douglas, manager of York Dungeon, said: "We've had long queues, but not quite as long as last year.

"I'm putting it down to the hot weather. This time last year there were more showers."

A spokeswoman for Browns department store said the shop was "heaving" on Saturday and Monday, with a heavy footfall of day-trippers and regular shoppers.

But Lee Spracklen, manager of the Oxfam bookshop, in High Petergate, said customers were thinner on the ground than normal.

He said: "It was not as busy as we would have liked. I've spoken to a few other shopkeepers in our street and it was quite low by Bank Holiday standards."

A PA WeatherCentre forecaster said temperatures reached up to five degrees higher than average across the county yesterday, with some areas enjoying up to 21 degrees.

He said warm sunny weather may well return this weekend as an area of high pressure sweeps across the country. But residents could experience some mixed weather tomorrow and on Thursday with some hazy sunshine and rain in hilly areas.

Updated: 10:44 Tuesday, June 01, 2004