TRIALS of the famed Flying Scotsman should see railway buffs flocking to the East Lancashire heritage line.

Engineers have fitted the boiler to the renowned locomotive and wheels have also been fitted to the chassis as part of an extensive overhaul operation.

Steam trials are still set to be conducted on the line, which links Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom and Bury’s Bolton Street stations, later this summer.

The locomotive was saved for posterity by the National Rail Museum (NRM) in 2004 after being owned by a number of private investors through the 1990s.

Built in Doncaster in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), the loco is known by trainspotters as ‘4472’ and made its name pulling the daily service between the English and Scottish capitals.

Steve Davies, director of the NRM, said: “The restoration of Flying Scotsman is at an incredibly exciting stage.

“Passing these tests and refitting the wheels represent huge milestones in the restoration so it really is thrilling to know how close we are to see her operating once again.”

An early preview, detailing progress on the restoration programme, will be staged at the museum’s York headquarters, with the engine repainted in its LNER livery, in late May.