Updated: Rail fans can catch a glimpse of the ‘Sherwood Forester’ steaming through Deeside on Monday

Update 5pm: The Sherwood Forester appears to be behind scheduled and will pass through Mostyn West at 6.10pm through Flint at 6.18pm and Shotton at 6.23pm.

Check here for the latest times: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U54604/2021-05-31/detailed

Earlier report: Fans of classic trains can catch a glimpse of a locomotive steaming through Deeside on Monday afternoon.

LMS ‘Black 5’ 45231, known as Sherwood Forester will be passing through Shotton on the return leg of a 200 mile north Wales coast tour.

The tour, operated by Sophos Trains left Worcester Shrub Hill with a diesel engine upfront just before 6am this morning.

Arriving Crewe at 8.36am the steam locomotive was added to the train for the onward journey to north Wales.

Chris Dickinson captured the photograph above as the Sherwood Forester passed through Shotton just after 9.50am this morning.

Sophos Trains describes today’s tour on its website, it says: “Enjoy a day out to the beautiful North Wales coast as our train travels on a 200-mile steam hauled return journey from Crewe across the pretty Cheshire Plain, through Chester and along the delightful Welsh shoreline, known for its stunning beaches with sweeping views of the Dee Estuary, Irish Sea, historic castles, Snowdonia Mountains and finally crossing the Menai Strait with a fast run across Anglesey to the Port of Holyhead stopping en-route at Llandudno Junction and Bangor.”

According to the website Realtime Trains, the return leg left Holyhead at 4.08pm passing through Shotton at 5.58pm – timings are, of course, not always guaranteed.

The steam locomotive was built by Armstrong-Whitworth in 1936 for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway.

It spent most of its early career at Patricroft shed, working mainly to North Wales and Leeds.

After nationalisation in 1948, it was renumbered 45231 by British Railways. More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LMS_Stanier_Class_5_4-6-0_5231