MUSEUM chiefs are planning an even more ambitious programme of tours for Flying Scotsman, which has made its last outing of the 2004 season.

The National Railway Museum (NRM) revealed it plans to run Flying Scotsman on the tracks again next year following six weeks of sell-out excursions.

With three runs each week, the historic locomotive carried more than 15,000 passengers between York and Scarborough, pulling a train of 11 coaches, a weight of 450 tonnes and travelling more than 5,000 miles.

Now it is to take pride of place at the Leeman Road museum, before moving to the new NRM museum at Shildon, Co Durham, at the end of October, where it will go on show for a month.

The summer tour was extremely popular with tourists and rail fans despite a number of technical problems, which saw delays and cancellations.

Andrew Scott, head of the NRM, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the fantastic support shown by the public for the Flying Scotsman summer programme and are looking forward to an even more ambitious programme of tours next year." The locomotive will be on public display before it travels to Shildon. On its return to York in November, it will be overhauled in preparation for its main line certification renewal in 2006. Visitors will be able to see the work taking place.

Mr Scott said: "We are totally committed to keeping Flying Scotsman as a flagship operational locomotive in the national collection and to maintaining and improving its condition.

"Like all locomotives, it must meet certain standards if it is to run on Network Rail's system and must receive a major overhaul every seven years.

"We are completing the task in two phases over the next two winters so that the engine can be operating for the public each summer."

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, September 01, 2004