LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 5231

London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 5231 (British Railways no. 45231) is a preserved British steam locomotive. In preservation, it has carried both the names "3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment" and "The Sherwood Forester", though it never carried either of these in service.

Service

5231 was built by Armstrong-Whitworth in 1936. She spent most of her early life at Patricroft shed, working mainly to North Wales and Leeds. After nationalisation in 1948, she was renumbered 45231 by British Railways.

She was transferred to Northampton in October 1954, but was only officially there for a month — such allocation changes were often only carried out on paper — and then transferred to Aston, where she remained for nine years. 45231 was officially transferred to Rugby in February 1963, but was moved a short time later (July) to Chester. She stayed at Chester until closure of Chester shed in April 1967. She was then transferred to Speke Junction and finally Carnforth, where 45231 lasted until the last day of steam on BR in August 1968.

She was sold by BR directly into preservation and was restored at Carnforth to LMS livery.

Preservation

After being initially preserved at Carnforth, 5231 became associated with the preserved Great Central Railway in Leicestershire. In 1973 she hauled the official opening train between Loughborough and Quorn. On 9 May 1976she was named "3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment" at Quorn. She was taken out of service the following year for an overhaul.

Overhauled in Cornwall, and was complete in 1988, when she returned to the GCR. She then moved to the Nene Valley Railway from 1989 until 1993, when she returned to the GCR for the filming of "Shadowlands". 5231 was sold to the GCR in late 1996, who repainted it in BR lined black in 1997. She also acquired a new set of nameplates, this time more simply "The Sherwood Forester". A very similar name was carried by LMS Royal Scot Class (4)6112: "Sherwood Forester".

Whilst operating the "Scarborough Spa Express" on 28 August 2007, she obtained damage a right-hand piston, rendering her out of use, but she is now back in service.

External links

* [http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/locos/e5231.htm Great Central Railway page]
* [http://www.railuk.co.uk/steam/getsteam.php?number=45231 Railuk database]
* [http://ukhrail.uel.ac.uk/cgi-bin/rlylocos?NO=45231&NA=&CL=5MT&CO=ANY&BL=&WN=&LO= Preserved locomotive database entry]