SITTING inside the cab of the Flying Scotsman is an unforgettable experience. Its whistle, a sound that delights so many when it roars through the countryside, is almost deafening. The heat from the glowing fire that powers the engine is intense and, as the world famous locomotive pulls away from the platform billowing steam, it is clear why it is as revered today as it was in the 1920s.

Built in Doncaster in South Yorkshire in 1923, the Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway. The following year, it was exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition in London and was hailed as a paragon of British engineering. Its name has been synonymous with rail travel ever since and now, for the first time since 2004, the Flying Scotsman is back in the North-East.

The locomotive will spend eight days at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham, from today (Saturday) to Sunday, July 31 as part of Shildon Shed Bash. This is inspired by the shed bashes of the 1950s and 1960s when railway sheds were opened up to the public.

“Trainspotting was the Gameboy of its day,” explained Locomotion manager Gary Campbell.

“Ian Allan had a book listing all the locomotives in the country. Schoolboys spent their lives on railway platforms looking out for the engines and would draw a neat line through its name in the book when they saw one.

“Shed bashes were an opportunity for railway enthusiasts to visit the sheds legitimately, rather than jumping over the fences like some mischievous schoolboys did.”

During the event, museum visitors will also get to view the A4 60009 Union of South Africa, Q6 63395, V2 4771 Green Arrow and D9002 Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

There will also be an opportunity to ride behind the Flying Scotsman every morning, from 10am to 1pm, for £5, with tickets on sale each morning.

In the afternoon, the engine will be taken out of service so visitors can explore inside its cab. Shildon Mayor, Councillor Trish Pemberton, was among those given a sneak preview yesterday.

She said: “It is an honour to have the Flying Scotsman here. Shildon was the cradle of the railway which means the people of the town and surrounding area helped to change the world because railways changed the world. ”

It is hoped more than 100,000 people of all ages will come to see the Flying Scotsman during the event, and for locomotive driver and fireman Noel Hartley, who is also driver and operations manager at the National Railway Museum in York, that is what it is all about.

“It’s so important to inspire the younger generation to take an interest in steam engines, as they are the ones who will preserve locomotives like the Flying Scotsman in the future.”

To find out more, visit flyingscotsman.org.uk/events/shildon-shed-bash