A new-look Flying Scotsman service has been launched between Edinburgh and London as the £4.2 million refurbishment of the famous steam engine named after the route nears completion.

The Flying Scotsman refers to a train service, not an engine, but it is usually associated with the locomotive that was built in Doncaster in 1923 and named after the route.

This much-loved green engine - which was designated number 4473 in its prime but later restyled 60103 - will soon be back on Britain's railways for the first time in a decade as the major refurbishment project nears its end.

At the same time, Virgin Trains East Coast has breathed new life into the Flying Scotsman route with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiling new livery trumpeting the history of the service.

There have been many changes since the Flying Scotsman engine was steaming up the East Coast route in the years between 1924 and 1936:

:: The Flying Scotsman service has been running from Edinburgh to London since 1862. The current service to have the name is the daily 0540 train from Edinburgh Waverley, arriving at London King's Cross at 0940

:: The first services took 10 hours, with a break for lunch at York. When the 4473 Flying Scotsman was in its pomp, in 1932, this time had been cut to eight hours. By 1938, A4 trains like Mallard brought this down to seven hours. In 2015 the journey takes exactly four hours. That's an average speed of 98.25 mph

:: The 4472 Flying Scotsman pioneered a non-stop route after it was converted to allow relief crews to get to the footplate while it was moving. The current service stops only at Newcastle and is the only passenger service to pass through York station without stopping

:: The Flying Scotsman was pulled by steam locomotives until 1962. When 4473 Flying Scotsman was on the route, it would use seven tonnes of coal each trip. In the 1960s, the Deltic heavy diesel engine took over. In 2015, the service is one of Virgin Trains' fleet of Intercity 225 trains - which is an electric Class 91 loco pulling nine coaches

:: 4473 Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive to break the 100mph barrier, in November 1934. This record was soon broken by the A4 class of engines including Mallard, which became the fastest steam train ever on the East Coast Main Line in 1938 at 125.88mph. The Intercity 225 train on the current Flying Scotsman service has a theoretical top speed of 140mph but is limited to 125mph on UK railways

:: In the 1940s a single ticket for the Flying Scotsman was £2 11s 6d . A single ticket for tomorrow's 0540 from Edinburgh to London would cost you £140.50 for standard or £199.50 first class. However, customers booking in advance can travel on this service from £40.50 standard class and £64.50 first class

:: The current service offers travellers the usual Virgin Trains buffet services as well as modern conveniences like toilets and wi-fi. In its heyday, the Flying Scotsman service featured a Louis XVI-style restaurant, cocktail bar, hairdressing salon, and ladies' retiring room. Passengers could sip on a Flying Scotsman cocktail and there was music by George Scott-Wood, the pioneer of swing music in Britain

:: 2015 is unlikely to see a repeat of any of the stunts involving the Flying Scotsman in its pomp. In 1931 the train raced a plane from London to Edinburgh, and two years later, it raced a plane and a speedboat. It also featured in a range of films, including Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.