Whilst the daughter of the man who saved the Flying Scotsman from being scrapped travelled to England to ride behind the famous train, Wilston Samuel Jackson was being recognised for his part in the illustrious history of the Flying Scotsman.

Penny Pegler, whose father, Alan (Pegler) who bought the redundant locomotive from British Railways in 1963 for £3,000, said that it had been a lovely and special part of her family life, before travelling from her home in Portugal to see the locomotive when it visits Swanage Railway in Dorset later this month.

Meanwhile, Jamaican-born Jackson, who had a long and successful career on the railway, including driving the famous locomotive, had a Blue Plaque unveiled in his honour, in London.

At the unveiling at King's Cross station, Mr Jackson's daughter, Polly Jackson, said: “He (my father, Wilson) dedicated his life to the railway.

"He was never late or missed a day, and he was so proud of his work, despite the many challenges he faced. Today was a fitting tribute to his life and career."

After moving to the UK as part of the Windrush generation, Mr Jackson - known as Bill - worked his way up from his initial maintenance role to a position managing train boilers. His attempts at becoming a train driver came at a time when many black people had their applications blocked due to racism.

Mr Jackson's appointment in 1962 sparked a furious reaction from some of his white colleagues, who unsuccessfully attempted to prevent white men from working under him. Two years later, he broke both his legs when his train crashed into the back of a stationary goods train near Finsbury Park, north London, after a signalman mistakenly gave a green light.

Following his recovery Mr Jackson returned to the railway, before later emigrating to Zambia where he taught people how to drive trains. He died in September 2018, aged 91.

Mr Pegler, who is also credited with saving the Ffestiniog railway in Gwynedd, died in 2012, aged 91. The 97-tonne locomotive, owned by National Railway Museum in York, will haul trains on Swanage Railway for five days from October 22.