The Scotsman's arrival excited the crowds in York

The world-famous locomotive was due to arrive at the Railfest in York under its own steam but developed a technical fault en-route on Friday.

Despite the setback rail buffs gave the famous green engine a warm welcome.

Sir Richard Branson, who gave some of the �1.8m needed to buy the loco, said the crowds ensured a "wonderful day".

"We are celebrating 200 years of rail travel in this country and it is tremendous to see the Flying Scotsman is still alive and here for another 200 years," he said.

"The important thing about this rescue fund is that there is enough money to keep it running on the lines for decades to come.

"I am afraid she is old and she does have technical problems, but it was a great welcome and it was lovely to see so many people so enthusiastic."

In pictures: The Scotsman arrives at Railfest

Although thousands of steam fans had been expecting to see the Scotsman power its way up the East Coast mainline to the National Railway Museum, the engine was shunted up the line by a diesel unit on Friday night.

Engineer Jim Rees said the final leg of its celebratory journey had been thwarted by a simple fault.

"It's nothing disastrous at all. The loco was in steam, it ran under its own steam from London and all the way to Doncaster perfectly successfully.

"It was during preparation yesterday that we found a boiler tube had split."

Mr Rees said the setback was a disappointment, but not a disaster.

The engine is expected to take about a month to repair, but will still be on display while engineers work on it.

Excited fans

Museum director Jon Ingham said that up to 60,000 people would see the loco during the nine-day festival, which is celebrating the past, present and future of rail transport.

Excitement was building amongst steam enthusiasts all morning ahead of the loco's 1400 BST arrival at the York site for Railfest's opening ceremony.

Jack Turner, chair of Locomotive Club of Great Britain, said: "It is absolutely marvellous that we were able to save it and keep it in this country.

"It would have been an absolute disaster for it to have gone out of England."

This year marks the bi-centenary of the running of the world's first steam engine, Richard Trevithick's Pennydarren locomotive, as well as the 100th anniversary of the City of Truro unit's 100mph run.