One of the world's most famous locomotives is making tracks for its mainline comeback.

In 1997, the legendary Lord Nelson made an emotional return to Eastleigh.

Now, in a corner of its home town, a dedicated taskforce has been breathing life back into the historic engine.

No 850 - the sole survivor from the elite class of 16 locos built in the railway town between 1926 and 1929 - came back to its roots after an absence of 30 years.

Since then members of Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society have been working to get the Lord Nelson back to mainline running standards.

After retiring from British Railways in 1967, the famous loco was pulled into the sidings for a well-deserved rest at the National Railway Museum in York.

Now it is being given a new lease of life at Eastleigh with an overhaul.

Preservation society members are hoping that Lord Nelson will be back on the mainline tracks in autumn next year.

Railway enthusiasts from all corners of the country are expected to flock to the town when Lord Nelson, affectionately known as Nellie, emerges from the running sheds.

Brian Southon, a spokesman for the Lord Nelson Restoration Appeal, said they were getting enquiries about the project from all around the world.

"Everyone wants to know when Nellie will be back on the tracks," he said.

But the major cost of the massive restoration exercise has been the overhaul of the boiler.

Original estimates were in the region of £100,000 but with many technical snags along the way that figure has almost doubled.

With about £70,000 still to be raised towards the boiler work, fundraising is going at full steam.

A monster raffle, with big prizes, was launched four months ago and the latest sale of tickets will take place at Eastleigh's Swan Centre on August 25 between 9.30am and 5.30pm.

The winning tickets will be drawn on September 1 at the Eastleigh railway works where Lord Nelson is being restored.

In its heyday the loco, which clocked up 1.8 million miles, was the pulling power for the boat train which carried the rich and famous from London to join transatlantic liners in Southampton.