Thousands of people turned out to watch the Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive Tornado begin the first of three days of pulling the regular service between Appleby in Cumbria and Skipton, in North Yorkshire, along the famous Settle to Carlisle line.

The train left Appleby Station at 8.25am on Tuesday and thundered through the Yorkshire Dales, including a pass over the Ribblehead Viaduct - the mecca for all steam engine and railway photography enthusiasts.

In Skipton, there were queues for the few remaining tickets as travellers took advantage of the chance to travel on a steam-pulled service at regular prices.

The initiative, organised by Northern Rail, Network Rail and the Friends of Settle and Carlisle, runs from Tuesday until Thursday, running two return journeys each day.

Rail enthusiasts have already snapped up almost all the reserved seats, around half of the 500 seats on each journey.

British Transport Police (BTP) officers have been patrolling the route over the three days and have encouraged enthusiasts to enjoy the spectacle while remaining at a safe vantage point.

Inspector Neil Hubbs, from BTP, said: "We understand people are excited about seeing the Tornado and want them to enjoy the occasion and, of course, have a great day out.

"Our priority is the safety of the public and passengers viewing and travelling on the train.

"The railway is a hazardous environment and we urge people who are planning on attending to use safe vantage points to view and take pictures of the train, stay clear of the line and not to risk their lives and the lives of others by trespassing on the tracks, and to respect local landowners by not trespassing on any private land."

Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern Railway, said: "It is great to see so many people supporting this historic venture.

"We always knew that the first timetabled steam services in the UK for 50 years would be extremely popular, but the demand for tickets has been phenomenal.

"The running of Tornado on the Settle and Carlisle line - as a timetabled service - is going to be quite a spectacle and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the three-day event.

"The services, and all stations along the line, will be extremely busy and we understand that even those who are not travelling will want to be able to witness Tornado running on the historic line."

Mark Rand, from Friends Of The Settle-Carlisle Line told the BBC: "What price can you put on a day like this? But we might have to wait another 50 years for the next one."

Mr Barnfield said: "Valentine's Day. The Settle-Carlisle Railway on a steam train. How much better does it get? It's been a fantastic event."

Train driver Tony Jones told ITV News he normally drove freight trains over the same route.

He said: "It's a big privilege to be part of something like this."

The 73-mile long Settle-Carlisle line was opened in 1876 and survived attempts to close it as passenger numbers dwindled at the end of the last century.

Part of the line has been closed for more than a year due to landslips in the Armathwaite area of Cumbria in the storms at the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016.

The three days of steam-powered services are part of celebrations planned to mark the reopening of the full line at the end of March following a £23 million repair project.

Tornado was the first steam locomotive to be built in the UK for almost 50 years when it was completed in Darlington in 2008.