HUNDREDS of well-wishers visited a North York Moors Railway station yesterday to say farewell to one of Britain’s most iconic steam engines.

Rail enthusiasts, families with young children and visitors alike joined members of the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust and members of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Grosmont Station to get a final glimpse of Sir Nigel Gresley.

The famous locomotive made its final journey into Grosmont Tunnel before being left in the engine sheds to undergo a major overhaul costing about £600,000.

No 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, is one of the last remaining streamlined A4 Pacific class locomotives in the world. Only six remain, four of which are based in the UK, two in North America, the rest were scrapped during the 1960s.

Throughout the Sir Nigel Gresley Farewell Weekend of September 19 and 20, thousands of people came to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to travel behind the engine.

With £1 in every £5 of all ticket income from the weekend going towards the cost of the locomotive’s overhaul, many thousands of pounds have been raised with help from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

The locomotive will now undergo a major overhaul which includes a very detailed boiler inspection and repair. This is expected to take up to three years to complete at an expected cost of £600,000.