There will be blast from the past in Abergavenny next month when the steam engine that hauled the last ever train over the Head of the Valleys Railway in the late 1950s goes on display to the public.

Built in 1888, locomotive 1054 spent many years of its life based at Abergavenny Locomotive Depot.

As British Railways 58926 it became the last of its class, surviving for many years due to the ingenuity of the Abergavenny shed staff who hid the locomotive from officialdom by classing it as a snowplough!

Paired with a Super D 4912 it hit the headlines when, on January 5 1958, it worked the last ever train from Abergavenny to Merthyr Tydfil

During the weekend of the Blaenavon steam gala (September 14 and 15), the heritage railway will recreate this famous train, pairing 1054 and Super D 49395 for a run from Blaenavon to the Whistle Inn - and, on the Saturday afternoon, it hopes to play host to the family of Fred Brown, who was a driver on the Super D that day.

As 1054 has to be transported to Blaenavon by road, it's been decided to take it through Abergavenny on September 10 and briefly put it on display to the public - possibly at the town's bus station.

John Hillier, Press Officer for the Bahamas Locomotion Society said, "It is an important piece of history for the area, and I'm sure there are some great memories that people in the town will have of it.

"I think it will be great for school children to learn about the past of their town, and also for the people of Abergavenny and surrounding areas to come and see this great piece of local history."

The best location is still being worked out with the hauliers and local authorities.

The steam gala, which marks Blaenavon Heritage Railway's thirty years in operation, is billed as the biggest yet.

The line was originally opened in 1869 by the London and North Western Railway.

The star attractions - Coal Tank 1054 and the Super D freight engine 49395 - are two of the last remaining examples of LNWR steam power.

Joining the pair for the gala weekend will be two industrial steam locomotives, 71515 Mech Navvies Ltd and NCB.72 of the Austerity type that lasted into the early 1980s in NCB service.

Tickets will be valid for all day travel, and there will be an intensive service of passenger trains running between Blaenavon, Big Pit and the Whistle Inn, centred on the award-winning Furnace Sidings Station.

Alex Hinshelwood, the railways traffic manager, said: "We're all excited about this event, bringing two of the last surviving LNWR engines back to South Wales is something we've talked about for a long time.

"It's made extra special by 1054 being a local engine and we hope recreating the Heads of the Valleys last train will bring back a few memories".