The Flying Scotsman's new life has got off to a shaky start.

The latest blow for the historic steam engine came near Wiggington Road in York, as it was hauling a train containing around 500 passengers.

The Scotsman developed a fault that affected the brakes and another engine had to take passengers on to York.

Its arrival at the National Railway Museum in May hit problems after a boiler fault and the locomotive was hauled the last few miles by diesel.

Royal train

Tuesday's misfortune is the second time the Flying Scotsman has broken down in three months.

Passengers were returning from a trip to Scarborough and were just a few miles outside York - the train's destination - when a nut leading to the engine's compressor split.

Engineers from York's National Railway Musuem went to the scene and the Prince William locomotive, which used to pull the Royal train, was sent to rescue the stranded passengers.

"The NRM workshop staff are currently doing all they can to fix the problem," said head of the museum, Andrew Scott.

"We have apologised to the passengers who were booked on the journey for which a substitute locomotive was used."

They had been taking advantage of an opportunity to ride on the Flying Scotsman in a series of "summer specials" on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 31 August.

The engine was kept in the UK after a public appeal raised �365,000, matched by a donation from Sir Richard Branson.