The Venice-Simplon Orient Express steamed out of York today to mark the announcement of the biggest rail celebration for more than a quarter of a century.
Sally Thomsett chats to an actor dressed as George Stevenson at the head of the Orient Express in York Station this afternoon
It was taking guests - including Sally Thomsett, star of The Railway Children - to Darlington Railway Museum, where it was being announced that 40 of the world's great locomotives, including the Flying Scotsman, will gather for one last time in a Millennium Cavalcade of Steam.
The favourites from the golden age of the railways will take part in a three-day event to mark the 175th anniversary of the opening of the world's first passenger railway.
Upwards of 250,000 people are expected to attend the cavalcade over August Bank Holiday weekend next year in north east England. The old locos will appear on an eight-mile stretch of track between Shildon and Darlington North Road, the track on which George Stephenson's Locomotion hauled the first train on the Stockton-Darlington line in 1825.
The display of locos will be on each of the three days - August 26, 27 and 28, 2000.
Tickets priced at between £8.50 and £45 go on sale from today. They are available by phoning 0870 012 2000.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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