TRAIN fans will have the opportunity to see a restored steam engine pass through Gwent on Thursday.

The locomotive, 34046 Braunton, will travel through the region as it steams to Cardiff from London Paddington.

The train, a ‘Bulleid Light Pacific’, will travel through Gwent two months after hundreds lined the tracks to see Britain's most famous steam engine, the Flying Scotsman.

The ‘Bulleid Light Pacific’ was designed by Oliver Bulleid, a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the chief mechanical engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation.

Light Pacific's incorporated many modern features of the time, including electric lighting, and, in the post war years of skills, British Railways embarked on a rebuilding programme in an attempt to improve reliability.

By 1965, after accumulating 779,210 miles in service, Braunton was retired from service and sold to Barry Scrapyard. By 1988, the locomotive had moved from Barry but serious restoration did not begin until 1996 and was completed by 2008.

In 2011, the 34046 Braunton was fitted with all the modern equipment to allow it to be used on the mainline railway network.

Although restricted to 75mph, the steam train is capable of speeds in excess of 100mph.

It will pass through these stations at the following times;

- Chepstow 1.43pm

- Maindee West 2.07pm

- Newport 2.09pm

- Ebbw Junction 2.12pm

- Marshfield 2.19pm