Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express heads to National Railway Museum in York

Add to My Stories Share For legions of Harry Potter fans across the globe, the Hogwarts Express is where the real magic begins. When the book's characters board the train at platform 9 at London's King's Cross station, they are transported into JK Rowling's wizard world.
For a decade, a British steam engine has played the part of the Hogwarts Express on the big screen.But now, following the finale of the smash-hit Harry Potter films, could the historic train's glittering Hollywood career finally be running out of steam?It looks as though the Olton Hall no. 5972 may well be seeing out its final days at the National Railway Museum in York, where it is to go on display. Unless, of course, it can be tempted out of retirement for one last role.

It's final journey? The Olton Hall steam engine - or Hogwarts Express - is pulled across the North Yorkshire countryside

Starring role: The train was won an army of fansThe Olton Hall was seen pulling a Mallard between Northallerton and York, across the North Yorkshire countryside in, what could be, it's last journey for a while.Thelocomotive is returning to the museum, where it has been on display before, and is sure to attract many a young Harry Potter fan to see one of the film's stars in real-life.
The train's fame is perhaps even more remarkable when you consider it almost ended up on the scrap heap.

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Before winning the coveted role in Harry Potter, it was on the verge of being broken up and 'turned into razor blades'.
More than 200 locom! otive ha ve ended up as 'engine corpses' consigned to the scrap yard - and Olton Hall verynearly became another railway statistic.
Built in Swindon in 1937, the train was withdrawn from service in 1963 and scrapped. It was rescued from Barry scrapyard in South Wales in 1981 and had a makeover Hollywood would be proud of in 1997.

On screen: The train has become a prominent feature in the Harry Potter films as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione make their way to Hogwarts

On track: The Harry Potter train Hogwarts Express was originally built for the Great Western Railways in 1941