Steam legend Mayflower has returned to the main line today after nearly 40 years of travelling up and down the country’s preserved railways.

The steam special left Norwich this morning and travelled through Ipswich enroute to Windsor.

From there it will pull the train back to London and onto a new base for the next few months. The train will return to the region behind a diesel locomotive.

The LNER-designed B1 steam locomotive was pulling a steam special from the region to Windsor at the start of a spring and early summer programme of mainline tours.

The locomotive is now owned by millionaire businessman David Buck who got the taste for steam as a schoolboy trainspotting on Ipswich station platforms.

Mayflower is now based at the North Norfolk Railway and will be returning to Sheringham for the summer season on the line.

The trip to Windsor was a sell out. After being pulled by Mayflower on the way out, the train returned to the region behind a diesel with Mayflower being based at Southall in west London for the next few months.

The trip was truly special for Mr Buck.

As he prepared for the trip he said: “I am really looking forward to bringing it back to this line – it will be the first time an engine like this has been on the line for many decades.”

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