Last steam engine has come home

The journey by road from County Durham took nine hours

The last steam locomotive to be built by British Railways has returned to her "home town" of Swindon to take centre stage at the town's Railway Festival.

The locomotive Evening Star, built in March 1960, has arrived by road from the National Railway Museum at Shildon in County Durham, 250 miles away.

Evening Star was last in Swindon 30 years ago and she will stay at the town's steam museum for two years.

The engine weighs 103 tonnes and is 20.2m (66ft 2in) long.

It was transported on a 24-wheeled low-loader trailer, travelling at 30 mph mostly on motorways, with the journey taking nine hours.

The haulier responsible specialises in the transport of steam engines.

It then collected the King George V - a 4-6-0 king class locomotive built in 1927 - which is being loaned to the National Railway Museum in York.

Andrew Goodman, of Moveright International, said: "There are only two railways in the world: the GWR and the rest."

'Real buzz'

Felicity Jones, curator of the Steam Museum said: "The move went brilliantly. King George V came out and Evening Star went in exactly according to plan.

"Evening Star is now settled in the museum and looking fantastic. All the staff are so excited and there's a real buzz around Swindon.

"The doors to 'Steam' are now open for visitors and of course next weekend is our Railway Festival when Evening Star will be the star attraction."

The Swindon Railway Festival 2008 takes place on the weekend of 13 and 14 September at Steam - the Museum of the Great Western Railway.