RAILWAY enthusiasts were outside York's National Railway Museum (NRM) today to book their seats on an exclusive train trip.

Legendary locomotive The Flying Scotsman will make the first of its "summer special" trips to Scarborough on July 20.

Members of the Flying Scotsman's Supporters' Club, who donated cash to keep the rail icon in Great Britain, have been invited to travel on the inaugural Scarborough trip as a gesture of thanks.

Tickets for supporters went on sale at the NRM today, and about 30 enthusiasts were queuing to claim their seats.

NRM head Andrew Scott said: "The public support for Flying Scotsman was instrumental in saving it for the nation.

"I'm quite certain if it wasn't for their support the National Railway Museum wouldn't have been able to secure Flying Scotsman and there would be no glorious 'summer special' journeys ahead of us.

"Offering the supporters exclusive access to the inaugural run is our way of saying thank you."

Updated: 13:30 Friday, June 25, 2004