LARGE crowds have turned out in the spring sunshine to see the Flying Scotsman arrive in Pickering.

The arrival of the legendary steam locomotive marks the beginning of an seven-day "residency" on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where it will travel between Pickering and Grosmont. All tickets have sold out for the journeys.

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The engine, in iconic BR green, billowed into the station at midday in front of hundreds of onlookers.

Frank Barrington, who has tickets for today's trip, said: "We've been waiting a long while for it to come back, and now it's here we're taking the chance to have a ride behind it. It's an impressive sight. And it's 90 years old."

Michael Monaghan, a spectator on the platform, said: "We've been staying in Whitby, and following the progress of what's happening. We couldn't get a B&B in Whitby because I think everybody's coming here.

"So we basically followed a police car all the way from Grosmont - we thought, 'that's where it's heading!'

"It's a fantastic sight. We come from Doncaster originally anyway, that's where it was orginally built, so we're really chuffed - mind the pun."

Paul and Diana James, from Pickering, had just come along out of curiosity. "She's an impressive lady," said Mr James, who has been a member of the NYMR for six years. "And she's here all week."

"I'm impressed, I'm glad we came," said Mrs James. "As a general thing I'm not that interested in trains, but I wouldn't have missed that."

Mr James added that he had seen some people come to touch the engine. "It means a lot to a lot of people."

Mrs James agreed: "The number of people who have touched it and just walked on is incredible."

Mr James said: "It's a historic machine anyway, and there was a little lad in the cab. The look on his face. He'll tell his grandchildren about it - 'I've been on the footplate of the Flying Scotsman.'"

Fans will get the chance to see the locomotive running on the heritage railway for the first time following its 10-year, £4.2m refurbishment by the National Railway Museum.

The Scotsman is the first of many events at the NYMR this year.

In May, the attraction will host a Spring Steam Gala held over two weekends with special visiting steam locomotives, including the last surviving London and North Western Railway Webb Coal Tank 1054.

There will also be an Autumn Steam Gala, running from September 30 until October 2.

During summer the NYMR will host a Seventies and Diesel gala from June 17-19, combining live music and diesel locomotives, and a 'Swinging Sixties' Weekend on July 2 and 3. This will see a mix of period locomotives and vehicles, real ale and live music.

Other events at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway include Railway in Wartime from October 14-16 and the 'Santa Specials' in December, where children can board the Santa Express to pay Santa a visit in his on-board grotto.

Flying Scotsman returned to the East Coast Main Line last month with an inaugural journey from London King’s Cross to York, greeted by thousands of people lining the route.

However, the day was marred by several dangerous incidents of trespass – where spectators were seen walking along the tracks and taking photographs of the Flying Scotsman as other trains passed on opposing lines.

Emrys Warriner, of Network Rail, said the photographs of people stood on the tracks were “deeply worrying”

She added: “I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to go onto the railway without permission, as well as being illegal.”

BTP Inspector Bob Moody said: “The behaviour of some people during the Flying Scotsman’s inaugural journey from London to York was simply not acceptable.”

He added that rail trespassers could be brought before the courts and fined up to £1,000.