IT was the moment York had been waiting for - when the Flying Scotsman arrived home to crowds of cheering train enthusiasts.

Visitors to Railfest waved Union flags as the engine pulled into the National Railway Museum (NRM) with Sir Richard Branson on board, while the City of York Pipe Band marched by her side.

The nine-day celebration of the bicentenary of rail travel got off to a flying start at the weekend with thousands of visitors queuing round the sides of the NRM to get a piece of the action.

Delighted children spent hours at the fun fair under plumes of steam engine smoke, intermittently dashing off to look at rail icons such as Olton Hall, star of the Harry Potter films, and the world's only working replicas of Rocket and Penydarren - the very first steam locomotives.

Others perused stalls selling railway memorabilia to the sounds of piped organ music from the fair ground, or enjoyed a burger and candyfloss.

Eileen Landon, who celebrated her 80th birthday on Saturday, said Sir Richard made her day when he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Eileen told him she used to wave at the Flying Scotsman every morning as it steamed past her house.

She said: "I used to wave at it at 10.10am every day when I was a child, which is why I love it so much. It was overpowering to see it close up, I never realised it was so huge."

Mathew James, aged five, and brother David, ten, came all the way from Glasgow to see the Flying Scotsman and ride on the miniature steam train.

Dad Ian, said: "It's been very enjoyable for all of us. For me, the number of steam engines here has been amazing, it's been great to see so many. The kids have really enjoyed looking at the trains and going on the fairground rides."

Paul Beardsley, 51, of Sheffield, confessed to being a train fanatic. "It was great to see City of Truro," he said.

"There are some very interesting locomotives here, but I think that has been a highlight for me."

Eight-year-old James Spencer, of Clifton Moor, York, who featured in the Evening Press after he wrote to Prime Minster Tony Blair asking for his help to bring the Flying Scotsman to the city, had his picture taken with Sir Richard Branson by the famous locomotive. The Virgin tycoon also signed James's newspaper cutting.

Sir Richard said there had been many "unsung heroes" who had dug into their pockets to bring the Flying Scotsman home.

"I think what was really fantastic was the amount of people who put their hands in their pockets; kids, parents, grandparents," he said.

"For a train like this, its real beauty is when it's in full steam going through the countryside for people to see it."

Updated: 10:16 Monday, May 31, 2004