MORE than three decades since a stripped, forlorn and rusty 35006 arrived at Toddington for restoration, it hauled its first passenger trains.

Around 500 people attended the unveiling of 'Peninsular & Oriental SN Co', known simply as P&O, after a monumental overhaul by the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway that rivals the rebirth of Flying Scotsman.

P&O Locomotive Society chairman John McMillan opened the day's proceedings with GWSR president and record producer Pete Waterman revealing the nameplate. Mr Waterman congratulated the railway's impressive endeavour in getting the engine back onto the track saying: "If you believe in something strongly enough, it will happen."

The engine, a Southern Railway Merchant Navy class pacific was salvaged from the Barry Island scrapyard of Woodham Bros and brought to the embryonic steam railway in 1983. It was one of 30 engines to be built and all were named after shipping lines that used Southampton Docks.

An early restoration estimate of seven to 10 years proved to be 'wildly optimistic'.

Bill Trite had been one of a small number of people who were seeking to rescue a locomotive from the yard and embraced the challenge of raising £7,245 including VAT, to purchase what was left of it after much of it had been it up, plus a further £1,300 to take it away.

He praised those who had the faith to put money into the project.

Spokesman for GWSR, Ian Crowder, said: 'Flying Scotsman' may have stolen the national headlines over recent months, not least of which was its cost to the nation of £4.3m.

"But this (P&O) surely is a locomotive restoration that has taken more effort, more expertise, imagination, ingenuity, sheer goodwill and, above all, passion. And using largely volunteer labour the cost of restoring P&O - including a brand new tender and manufacturing hundreds of brand new components - was less than half-a-million pounds."

David Brown, a fireman based at Yeovil who worked P&O's final journey recalled that he had worked a Yeovil to Eastleigh mail train with the engine, then returned it to its home depot of Salisbury.

"We took it on to the shed and started to dispose of the engine and the foreman came out saying 'Don't bother too much lads, it's being withdrawn'.

"We couldn't believe it. It was a fine engine, nothing wrong with it and only 23 years old, but its place was being taken by warship class diesels on the West of England expresses."

The engine will make its public debut at the Cotswold Festival of Steam from May 28 to 30 which will include attractions for all ages. For details go to GWSR.com