GWR 4900 Class 4930 Hagley Hall

Last updated

GWR 4930 Hagley Hall
GWR 4930 Hagley Hall Kidderminster Station SVR.jpg
4930 Hagley Hall on the Severn Valley Railway, September 2023.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer Charles Collett
BuilderGWR Swindon Works
Build dateMay 1929
Website www.4930hagleyhall.org.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-6-0
   UIC 2'Ch2
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 0 in (1.829 m)
Length63 ft 0+14 in (19.21 m) over buffers
Width8 ft 11+14 in (2.724 m)
Height13 ft 3+14 in (4.045 m)
Loco weight75 long tons 3 cwt (168,300 lb or 76.4 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap.4,000 imp gal (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal)
BoilerGWR Standard No.1
Boiler pressure225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Cylinders Two (outside)
Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 27,275 lbf (121,330 N)
Career
Operators GWR  » BR
Power classGWR: D,
BR: 5MT
WithdrawnDecember 1963
Current ownerSevern Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC
DispositionOperational

4930 Hagley Hall is a Great Western Railway, 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive, built in May 1929 at Swindon Works to a design by Charles Collett. It is one of eleven of this class that made it into preservation. The locomotive is named after Hagley Hall in Worcestershire.

Contents

Operation

Its first shed allocation was Wolverhampton Stafford Road. After moving around the midland and southern sections of the western region it was withdrawn in December 1963, having covered the impressive total of 1,295,236 miles, [1] eventually being sold for scrap to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, arriving in June 1964. [2]

Preservation

Sold to the Severn Valley Railway in June 1972, [1] it became the 29th departure from Barry [2] arriving at Bridgnorth in January 1973. It was eventually restored to working condition in 1979, [1] and ran back on the mainline reaching as far south as Plymouth and north to Chester. [3] 4930 hauled the official re-opening train into Kidderminster Town station in 1984. [4]

4930 was also one of the regular locomotives used on the mainline in 1985 during the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway [5] alongside 3440 City of Truro, 5051 Drysllwyn Castle, 6000 King George V, 7029 Clun Castle, 7819 Hinton Manor, 75069 & 92220 Evening Star. During one occasion on 7 April 1985, it travelled overnight from the Severn Valley Railway to Plymouth, where it replaced 6000 King George V after it was failed in Taunton with a hotbox while working a railtour from Bristol to Plymouth while double-heading with fellow SVR resident 7819 Hinton Manor (7819 while working the same trip was later failed in Exeter with a hotbox). The next day, 8 April, 4930 double-headed the trip back from Plymouth with a repaired 7819. [6]

4930 Was a regular mainline performer from 1979 to 1986, when the engine was withdrawn from service. It worked a total of 21 railtours either solo or double-heading with other engines, including fellow SVR residents 5000, 6960 Raveningham Hall, 7812 Erlestoke Manor & 7819 Hinton Manor.[ citation needed ]

After its withdrawal in 1986 pending overhaul, it was loaned in 1999 to the Macarthur Glen shopping centre in Swindon as a static exhibit. In June 2007 it was returned to the Severn Valley Railway intending to take its place in the new 'Engine House' outside Highley railway station. After a delay due to the floods that hit the railway in June 2007, the Engine House opened in March 2008 when Hagley Hall was placed on show. [7]

Return to Steam

In October 2013, 4930 was moved from the Engine house to Bridgnorth so that the overhaul could begin, supported by the SVR Charitable Trust and the Friends of Locomotive Hagley Hall Group. Some of the money for the overhaul was raised by members of the public who subscribed to the SVR's share offer scheme, which included the objectives of restoring 4930 and some matching Great Western coaches. Overhaul included major firebox attention and the casting and machining of new cylinders. 4930 has swapped its Hawksworth tender for Witherslack Hall's Collett tender. Running in following the overhaul commenced on 23 June 2022, followed by return to service on 9 September 2022. [8] 4930 is operational in 2023. [9] [10]

Following the export of classmate 4920 Dumbleton Hall to Tokyo, Japan in December 2021, [11] on completion of its overhaul and return to service 4930, is presently the oldest Hall operating, and oldest based in the UK.

Allocations

Emerging from Dinmore Tunnel on the Welsh Marches Line in 1983. 4930 HAGLEY HALL emerges from Dinmore Old Tunnel.jpg
Emerging from Dinmore Tunnel on the Welsh Marches Line in 1983.
First shed Wolverhampton Stafford Road
August 1950 Weymouth
March 1959 Taunton
Last Shed Swindon
WithdrawnDecember 1963
Sold to Woodham BrothersMay 1964

The engine features in the 1986 documentary "Steam Days" with Miles Kington on a run out from Bristol to Plymouth with fellow GWR engine Drysllwyn Castle during the 150th Anniversary of the GWR in 1985.

4930 also featured running passenger trains on the SVR In the 1986 programme The Great Western Experience alongside other GWR locomotives, such as 5764, 5051 Drysllwyn Castle, 6998 Burton Agnes Hall and 7029 Clun Castle.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GWR 4073 Class</span> Class of 171 four-cylinder 4-6-0 locomotives

The 4073 or Castle Class are 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway, built between 1923 and 1950. They were designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains. They could reach speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyseley Locomotive Works</span> Railway museum in Birmingham, England

Tyseley Locomotive Works, formerly the Birmingham Railway Museum, is the engineering arm of steam railtour promoter Vintage Trains based in Birmingham, England. It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway's Tyseley depot, built in 1908 to accommodate expanding operations in the West Midlands, particularly the opening of the North Warwickshire Line as a new main line from Birmingham to Bristol.

GWR 4073 Class 5051 <i>Earl Bathurst</i>

5051 Drysllwyn Castle is a Great Western Railway (GWR) Castle Class locomotive built at Swindon Works in May 1936 and named after Dryslwyn Castle. It is owned by the Didcot Railway Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GWR 4900 Class</span> Class of 259 two-cylinder 4-6-0 locomotives

The Great Western Railway 4900 Class or Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 mixed-traffic steam locomotives designed by Charles Collett for the Great Western Railway. A total of 259 were built at Swindon Works, numbered 4900–4999, 5900–5999 and 6900–6958. The LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 and LNER Thompson Class B1 both drew heavily on design features of the Hall Class. After nationalisation in 1948, British Railways gave them the power classification 5MT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GWR 7800 Class</span>

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 7800 Class or Manor Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were designed as a lighter version of the Grange Class, giving them a wider Route Availability. Like the 'Granges', the 'Manors' used parts from the GWR 4300 Class Moguls but just on the first batch of twenty. Twenty were built between 1938 and 1939, with British Railways adding a further 10 in 1950. They were named after Manors in the area covered by the Great Western Railway. Nine are preserved.

GWR 4900 Class 4936 <i>Kinlet Hall</i> Preserved British 4-6-0 locomotive

The Great Western Railway (GWR) steam locomotive No. 4936 Kinlet Hall is a preserved 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 5110</span>

London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 5110 is a preserved British steam locomotive. It has carried the name RAF Biggin Hill in preservation, though it never carried this in service. Number 5110 was built in 1935 by the Vulcan Foundry. It was built with a low-degree superheat domeless boiler and still carries a domeless boiler.

GWR 4900 Class 4920 <i>Dumbleton Hall</i>

4920 Dumbleton Hall is a GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 steam locomotive, built by the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works in March 1929. Named after Dumbleton Hall, its first shed allocation was at Old Oak Common. In August 1950, the next shed allocation was Reading, and in March 1959 it was allocated to Newton Abbot. The locomotive's last shed allocation was Bristol Barrow Road. It was withdrawn from British Railways service in December 1965 and sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Wales.

GWR 4073 Class 5043 <i>Earl of Mount Edgcumbe</i>

The GWR 4073 Class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a steam locomotive of the GWR 'Castle' Class, built in March 1936. It was originally named Barbury Castle, and was renamed Earl of Mount Edgcumbe in September 1937. It had a double chimney and 4 row superheater fitted in October 1958.

GWR 4073 Class 5080 <i>Defiant</i> Preserved British 4-6-0 locomotive

GWR 4073 Class 5080 Defiant is a GWR 4073 Class steam locomotive built for the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works in May 1939. It was originally named Ogmore Castle.

GWR 4900 Class 4953 <i>Pitchford Hall</i>

4953 Pitchford Hall is a 4-6-0 Hall class steam locomotive built by the Great Western Railway (GWR), currently preserved at the Epping Ongar Railway.

GWR 4073 Class 7029 <i>Clun Castle</i>

GWR 4073 Class No. 7029 Clun Castle is a 4-6-0 steam locomotive built at Swindon Works in May 1950 to a design by Charles Collett for operation on the Western Region of British Railways. It was named after Clun Castle in Shropshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swindon Designer Outlet</span>

Swindon Designer Outlet is a covered designer outlet in Swindon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GWR 6959 Class 6960 Raveningham Hall</span>

6960 Raveningham Hall is a Great Western Railway, 4-6-0 Modified Hall Class locomotive, built in March 1944 at Swindon Works to a design by Frederick Hawksworth. It is one of six of this class that survive in preservation. The locomotive is named after Raveningham Hall in Norfolk.

GWR 7800 Class 7812 <i>Erlestoke Manor</i>

7812 Erlestoke Manor is a preserved GWR 7800 Class steam locomotive, operated by the Great Western Railway and later British Railways. Owned by the Erlestoke Manor Fund, as at December 2022 it was in operational condition on the Severn Valley Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BR Standard Class 5 73129</span>

British Railways Standard Class 5 No. 73129 is a preserved British steam locomotive. It is the only surviving Standard Class 5 built by British Railways which was fitted with Caprotti valve gear.

GWR 7800 Class 7802 <i>Bradley Manor</i>

7802 Bradley Manor is a 7800 'Manor' Class 4-6-0 steam locomotive. Built by the Great Western Railway at its Swindon Works in January 1938 it had an operating life of 27 years being withdrawn in November 1965. Designed by Charles Collett, it is one of nine of the class to be preserved and is currently based on the Severn Valley Railway.

GWR 7800 Class 7819 <i>Hinton Manor</i>

7819 Hinton Manor is a Great Western Railway locomotive part of the Manor Class. It is one of 9 locomotives preserved from the class which originally had 30.

SR West Country class 21C127 <i>Taw Valley</i> Preserved British 4-6-2 locomotive

21C127 Taw Valley is a Southern Railway West Country class 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive that has been preserved. It is presently operational at the Severn Valley Railway.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Williams, D.C.; McQuade, H.J. (1998). Severn Valley Railway Stock Book (9th edition). p. 7.
  2. 1 2 Beckett, Martin; Hardingham, Roger (2010). The Barry Story (includes The Barry List 10th edition). Settle: Kingfisher Productions. ISBN   978-0-946184-42-2.
  3. Severn Valley Railway News issues 53 and 76
  4. Severn Valley Railway News issue 73
  5. Severn Valley Railway News issue 77
  6. https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/850408sl.htm 4930 & 7819 double head Great Western Limited to Bristol
  7. Severn Valley Railway News issue 161
  8. Testing begins at the Severn Valley Railway
  9. "GWR 4930 Hagley Hall". Severn Valley Railway. 6 October 2022.
  10. "Friends of Locomotive 4930 Hagley Hall". www.4930hagleyhall.org.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  11. Holden, Michael (21 December 2020). "New Year, New Home for steam locomotive 4920 Dumbleton Hall". Rail Advent.