A KEEN collector was prepared to pay out £1,400 for a rare link between Barrow and the iconic steam locomotive Flying Scotsman in an auction which saw a world record being set.

The Barrow brass plaque showed that restoration work was completed at Vickers in 1978 and was sold at G. W. Railwayana Auctions, at Pershore, Worcestershire.

Only two of the plaques were made and they were attached to the famous loco until 1985 — when one plaque went to Flying Scotsman's regular driver and the other to the fireman.

The sale saw auctioneer Simon Turner sell an original nameplate from Flying Scotsman to a mystery internet bidder for a record £64,500.

A blue and white enamel sign for the Barrow-based Furness Railway sold for £100 and a Furness wagon plate made £160.

Barrow played a key role in giving the Flying Scotsman a new lease of life as a working steam locomotive when it arrived at Vickers in December 1977 under its own power. 

It was in town to have a new boiler fitted at Barrow shipyard. 

The 140-ton train had to be lifted off the tracks at the Vickers engineering works using a giant 250-ton crane near the boiler shop. 

To mark the work done at Barrow, an oval plaque was produced to be fixed to the locomotive which said: "Refurbished by Vickers Barrow Engineering Works 1978." 

The Mail on December 12 in 1977 noted: "She is the first steam locomotive to be handled by the firm for over half a century but the engineering skills required of Flying Scotsman are basic to the boilermaking trades. 

"The old boiler is to be replaced by an unused one from a sister locomotive now scrapped and other boiler repairs will be carried out. 

"Now located at Steamtown Carnforth, Flying Scotsman was one of a whole class of locomotives which worked LNER and later British Railways Eastern Region expresses." 

Although the work was of a high standard, there are always little things which can go wrong on a vintage locomotive. 

A special steam trip to Ravenglass was arranged in June 1978 for 80 of the Vickers engineers who had work on the boiler project. 

It broke down on the way due to an over heating axle which was spotted at Foxfield. 

The old boiler weighed 24 tons and was taken to Carnforth by a T. Brady lorry from Barrow. 

It was to be kept as a spare. Work at Barrow helped get Flying Scotsman ready to convince British Rail that it was fit for a series of tourist outings from Carnforth in August 1978 which proved to be a great success. 

A total of 8,000 tickets were sold with rail fans coming to Carnforth from London, Merseyside, Manchester and overseas.