THE last express passenger steam locomotive took a tour of Bury at the weekend.
The 71000 Duke of Gloucester was driven along the East Lancashire Railway line in place of the usual services between Bury, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall on Sunday.
At the throttle was ex-Bolton steam locomotive driver Malcolm Frost, a weekend volunteer with the East Lancashire Railway.
Built in 1954, the train served between London and Glasgow before being withdrawn in 1962.
It then sat in a scrap yard in South Wales until it was rescued by the Duke of Gloucester Society in 1974 and restored to working order.
Eventually, during the mid 1990s, it made its home at the East Lancashire Railway, where it underwent a further £350,000 refurbishment, which was completed earlier this month.
Mr Frost, aged 63, from Great Lever, worked for British Rail between 1956 and 1970, he said: "It was brilliant to drive. There were quite a few passengers over the course of the day and you can't help but admire it."
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