For
2007 we aim to use our own engine extensively on the Shakespeare
Express summer service and on some tours. 'Guest locomotives' owned by other groups will be used on certain other main line tours.
The details below are very limited. Further information and photographs
of these engines are available on the Vintage Trains website -
if you are interested then please follow the links.
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| GWR
Hall class 4965 Rood Ashton Hall |
4965 Rood Ashton Hall descending
Hatton Bank
heading a charter to
Didcot
18/12/05
Clive Hanley
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This
2-cylinder 4-6-0 Hall class engine was
built for the Great Western Railway in 1929 at Swindon Works for
mixed traffic duties. It was equally at home hauling freight and
express passenger trains. It was purchased from Barry Scrapyard
in 1971 for the Tyseley Collection and restored for main line use
carrying authentic GWR 1926 fully lined livery, entering service
in 1998.
This
engine has been used regularly on the Shakespeare Express service
between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon for the last summer
seasons. It has also headed tours to many places including .
More information on this engine>> |
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| Guest locomotives |
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| GWR Castle class 5029 Nunney Castle |
5029 crossing the Tamar Bridge
Dave Giddens
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In
1923, C.B.Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR unveiled
the new express passenger locomotive for the Great Western, the
Castle class locomotive.
A 4-6-0 design, with four cylinders,
superheated Swindon no.8 boiler and larger cab, the first of the
class, 4073 'Caerphilly Castle' soon set records on the GWR, hauling
heavier loads at higher speeds than its predecessors of the 'Star'
class.
5029
Nunney Castle emerged from Swindon works new in May 1934. It spent long
periods shedded at Old Oak Common as well as Worcester and Cardiff East
Dock.
It has been a recent regular
performer on the mainline. It is currently the only Castle fitted with
air braking equipment.
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| GWR Castle class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe |
5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
Swindon April 1962
Derek Penney
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5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' is a member of the GWR Castle class and was out shopped from Swindon
works in March 1936. During it's former working life it was modified with a 4-row superheater and double chimney and later coupled with a Hawksworth flat-sided tender.
In GWR days 5043 frequently hauled the 'fastest train
in the world', the 'Cheltenham Flyer'. More recently it has been recorded as reaching 98mph on the Bristolian in its final modified form in 1958.
It is currently nearing completion of an extensive overhaul and restoration to mainline standards.
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| GWR 9400 class 9466 |
9466 at Tyseley
Brian Wilson
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This
0-6-0 Pannier Tank engine was
built for British Railways in 1952 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd. to a Great Western Railway design. The first member of the class was introduced in 1947.
The 9400 class of Panniers carried on the unmistakable design Swindon tradition pf the ubiquitous 5700 class panniers (an their predecessors. However, the CME, Hawksworth, equipped this class with larger taper boilers so they were heavier restricting their operations to route code 'red'.
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| GWR Hall class 4953 Pitchford Hall |
4953 Pitchford Hall at Moor Street
before its trial run
on 11/12/05
Ian Perry
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This
2-cylinder mixed traffic 4-6-0 Hall class engine was
built for the Great Western Railway in 1929 at Swindon Works.
Pitchford Hall was withdrawn from service in May 1963 and sold as
scrap. After rescue from Barry, the loco spent some
time at Thingley Junction before moving to Tyseley for restoration
to mainline standards. '4953' underwent its mainline certification
trials in December 2005, between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon
on the route of the Shakespeare Express. The Pitchford
Hall 4953 Engine Society will now promote its use and it is already provisionally booked
for a mainline tour with Vintage Trains' own engine 4965 Rood Ashton
Hall.
More information about this engine>> |
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| GWR Hall class 4936 Kinlet Hall |
4936 Kinlet Hall heading
the 'Burton Mail' passing Elford en-route to
York 09/07/05
Jeff
Cogan
|
This
2-cylinder 4-6-0 Hall class engine was
built for the Great Western Railway in 1929 at Swindon Works for
mixed traffic duties.
It sustained war time damage
during an air raid on Plymouth harbour in 1941. A unique feature
of 4936 is that it was, and is, the only GWR engine to have manganese
liners fitted to the main axle boxes. It's
owners, Kinlet Hall Locomotive Ltd hire the locomotive
out to preserved railways as well as use it on tours. It returns
to Tyseley in the summer to undertake several mainline tours
More information about this engine>> |
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