London Midland & Scottish Railway 4-6-0 No. 45231 (5231) 'The Sherwood Forester'
Crewe, Cheshire, UK 		Location: LNWR Heritage
Status: Operational
Posted: Feb 14, 2025 @ 08:02:56 by Russell Newman
This is the history and insite of ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester", which is another of the surviving Black Fives from the end of steam in August 1968. No. 45231 was one of the 227 Armstrong Whitworth built Black Fives built in 1936. It was originally numbered No. 5231 on the London Midland & Scottish Railway and was renumbered to No. 45231 by BR following nationalisation in 1948. It was shedded at Carnforth shed from May 1968 during its last few months of its service with British Rail. It was withdrawn from service at Carnforth in August 1968 along with the remaining steam locomotives still on the BR network. It did have the distinction of working the last ever steam hauled ballast train for BR on the Furness Line in Cumbria. No. 45231 was purchased by Michael Stephenson for preservation at Carnforth motive power depot which had became the Steamtown museum then for preserved mainline steam in the Northwest of the UK. In 1973, No. 45231 moved to the Great Central Railway (GCR) at Loughborough where it hauled the official opening train on the newly opened preserved mainline to Quorn on September 30th 1973. In 1996 it was named "The Sherwood Forester" and after many years operating at the Great Central Railway and visiting some other preserved railways around the UK, in 2001 No. 45231 was sold to locomotive owner Bert Hitchen with the intention of restoring the locomotive the mainline standards. This work was undertaken at Loughborough Works on the GCR. After this work was completed No. 45231 moved to the Mid-Hants Railway in February 2005 to run some mainline tours for Steam Dreams. In 2007 No. 45231 moved from the Mid-Hants to the East Lancashire Railway but subsequently moved again to Carnforth now the depot for West Coast Railway Company where the Black Five operated many railtours over lines like the Settle and Carlisle line as well as several seasons hauling the Jacobite Trains over the West Highland Line in Scotland. Bert Hitchen sadly died in May 2015 but the locomotive remained owned by his family for the short term but was put up for sale in 2014. In October 2015 No. 45231 was purchased by Jeremy Hosking to become part of his fleet of preserved steam locomotives operating out on the mainline and heritage railway circuit under his Locomotive Services Ltd. As of 2025 No. 45231 is currently awaiting its next overhaul at LNWR Heritage at Crewe, which is anticipated that the boiler would need a lot of work on it.
Posted: Aug 15, 2024 @ 14:08:40 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black 5 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester", has been withdrawn from service following the end of both its mainline and boiler ticket since January 2024, and is currently awaiting a overhaul which it will need a lot of work on the boiler to be carried out this time around.
Posted: Aug 5, 2022 @ 05:08:54 by Jack Spencer
45231 will be making her first visit to the Severn Valley Railway for their Autumn Steam gala in September. She will become the first Black Five to run on the SVR since resident 45110 last ran in 2008.
Posted: Jan 3, 2019 @ 10:01:49 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" is having work being done at LNWR Heritage as its in the middle of having air brakes being fitted for use on the mainline and a full boiler re tube. As well as upgrade work on its TPWS. The locomotive should be back in service from February and in June this year No. 45231 along with the rest of the mainline steam fleet in Locomotive Services will be among star locomotive on display at Crewe Diesel Depot open day tilted All Change on the 8th of June 2019.
Posted: Aug 2, 2018 @ 10:08:39 by Russell Newman
Sadly due to reasons unknown 45231s visit to the Severn Valley Railway has been cancelled. This might be because of the hot dry weather and steam ban on Network Rail that has stopped the move the locomotive there and back?
Posted: May 15, 2018 @ 13:05:53 by Russell Newman
It has been announced that LMS Black 5 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" will be visiting the Severn Valley Railway for the summer season there from mid July to the end of September 2018. During its stay there the locomotive will take part in there Last Days of Steam Celebrations in August and will also be part of the line up of locos in there Autumn Steam Gala.
Posted: Dec 6, 2017 @ 12:12:19 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 No. 45231 is spending the Christmas season and a few months at the Mid Hants Railway till Mid February where it will take part in there Pre-Spring Steam Gala there. In memory of its former owner the late Bert Hitchern 45231 now carries a 56D shed code plate which would have been its late owners home shed under British Railways.
Posted: Nov 9, 2017 @ 12:11:08 by Russell Newman
Now based at LNWR Heritage at Crewe in Cheshire and part of the Icons of Steam fleet operated by locomotive services. LMS Black 5 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" will be doing a mainline test run next week on the 15th from its base at Crewe to Carnforth, Hellifield, Preston and back to Crewe. If all goes well 45231 will head south to Southall Depot in London for mainline duties and preserved railway visits in the New Year.
Posted: Sep 8, 2017 @ 13:09:40 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 No. 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" is nearing the end of its repairs at LNWR Heritage at Crewe. Its also currently being repainted to in readiness for its first mainline runs with Locomotive Services Ltd soon as well.
Posted: Jul 8, 2017 @ 18:07:09 by Russell Newman
45231 "The Sherwood Forester" is in the workshops at LNWR Heritage at Crewe where it is now based and is currently having some boiler and firebox work being done there.
Posted: Apr 21, 2017 @ 14:04:39 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 45231 "The Sherwood Forester" has been fully repaired and the locomotive is back in mainline service again and has moved to its new home at LNWR Heritage at Crewe to be part of locomotive services Icons of Steam there.
Posted: Dec 2, 2016 @ 12:12:19 by Russell Newman
45231 will soon be moving to LNWR Heritage at Crewe for the fitting of air-brake equipment and to be based with the rest of the Icons of Steam fleet there.
Posted: Nov 6, 2015 @ 16:11:01 by Russell Newman
News has just come in that 45231 has been sold to Jeremy Hosking and is now part of Icons of Steam.
Posted: Mar 2, 2015 @ 09:03:08 by Russell Newman
45231 is currently based at Carnforth for mainline work and is currently up for sale.
Posted: Sep 7, 2007 @ 15:09:04 by Dave Norman
Having travelled behind this beautiful engine on the Jacobite to Mallaig from Fort William in May this year it was obvious that all was not well. Subsequently the railway press advised Right Hand Cylinder failure which had been corrected. I was hugely disappointed to read recently that the same cylinder had completely blown.
Posted: Jan 11, 2004 @ 06:01:59 by Graham Oliver
This locomotive is currently being overhauled at the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire (UK) See www.gcrailway.co.uk for further info and downloadable pics.