THE Flying Scotsman received its final lick of paint in York today ahead of its return to the East Coast Mainline.

Ian Hewitt and his Heritage Painting team applied the number 60103 to the world famous steam train's cab at the National Railway Museum (NRM).

Having already been painted in its characteristic BR green livery, the restored Flying Scotsman is now ready for its 'inaugural run' from Kings Cross to York on Thursday, February 25.

Adding the number completed the NRM's decade-long £4.2m project to bring the legendary loco back to life.

Next Thursday's journey will also mark the start of the museum's Scotsman Season celebrations.

Ian Hewitt, of Heritage Painting said: “We’ve painted Gresley greats before including the world’s fastest locomotive, Mallard, but it’s an absolute honour to transform Flying Scotsman, the most famous of them all into its new livery.

"BR green will be recognised by many who saw the engine under public ownership in the late fifties and early sixties, and it will be accompanied by black and orange lining and the BR crest.

"It’s taken us just over a week to get to this point, and its used 45 litres of paint plus 20 litres of varnish, 20 litres of thinners and hours of painstaking work for our team of five.”

The first journey down the East Coast Mainline will be the Flying Scotsman’s maiden outing bearing its nameplates.

It will show that it has made its official return to Britain’s tracks after a full decade out of service.

Next week marks the anniversary of the British-built icon being ‘out-shopped’ from Doncaster Works on February 27, 1923.

The locomotive is considered by many to be the world’s most famous after its name topped a NRM poll late last year.

Crowds turned out in force in the North West to see it on its test runs at the East Lancashire Railway and along the West Coast mainline.

And many more are expected to welcome the Flying Scotsman on its old East Coast stamping ground.

NRM director Paul Kirkman said: “We have all been looking forward to the day when Flying Scotsman is once again running on Britain’s track and this new guise for our Inaugural Run and Welcome Home celebrations marks a new stage in its long and colourful history.

“We hope the public will join us for our free showcase of the locomotive from February 25, when the museum will be open until 10pm, until March 6. "We will be showing it in light steam in our North Yard and then it will finish off as the centre of attention on our Great Hall turntable.

"As well as seeing the steam legend out and about on Britain’s tracks in 2016, the public can experience the essence of Flying Scotsman first-hand at our museum, through a series of innovative and colourful exhibitions and events.”

For more information on the NRM's Scotsman Season, visit www.flyingscotsman.org.uk/