GWR 4900 Class 4953 Pitchford Hall
Encyclopedia
No. 4953 Pitchford Hall is a 4-6-0
Hall class
steam locomotive
built by the Great Western Railway
(GWR) at Swindon Works
in August 1929 for a cost of £4375.
The locomotive worked from a wide variety of sheds all over the GWR network until withdrawal by British Rail
ways in May 1963. It covered 1,344,464 miles over that period.
"Pitchford Hall" was acquired by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
in October 1963 and there it stayed, being stripped of components, until purchase by its current owner in 1984.
to and back.
The locomotive currently carries a "transitional" livery of the 1948 period with "G W" lettering on the tender, unlined with a smokebox number plate.
In February 2007 "Pitchford Hall" performed at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
's Winter Steam Gala, and on the 19 May 2007 performed in tandem with 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall
" on a trip to Bristol from their Tyseley base.
The loco also took part in the 2007 season "Harringworth Viaduct Shuttles" and a series of shuttle trains from Birmingham to Kidderminster in conjunction with the Severn Valley Railway's Autumn Gala in place of 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall" which failed due to a flue tube problem.
During 2009, she operated two Shakespeare Express steam services between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford upon Avon on behalf of Vintage Trains and West Coast Railway company. On 31st August 2009, 4953 also operated a railtour to Corby Northamptonshire via the Harringworth Viaduct. 4953 started from Tyseley Warwick Road onto the Birmingham to Peterborough line via Nuneaton, Hinckley, Narborough, and on to the Midland Mainline at Leicester, Syston, Sileby, Barrow Upon Soar, branching again onto the Birmingham to Peterborough line via Melton Mowbray, Oakham and onto Manton Junction travelling over the Harringworth Viaduct and finally to Corby and return, piloting Class 47/4 47580 County of Essex on the return from Leicester to Tyseley. In October 2009 she ran ran light engine with 5029 Nunney Castle and support coach to the West Somerset Gala, operating services between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, Somerset.
2010 seen 4953 star at the Tyseley Locomotive Works steam gala before moving to the Great Central Railway. Her first weekend in traffic their saw her star in the 'Mail by Rail' gala, starring in two 'TPO drops' over the weekend. Highlight for 2010 saw 4953 star in various GWR175 events, it travelled to the Llangollen Railway double heading with the iconic GWR 'City' 3717 City of Truro, and operating at the West Somerset Railway before returning to Loughborough.
So far in 2011, "Pitchford Hall" starred in the Great Central Railway
's 2011 Winter Steam Gala called "The Banbury Cross" where she starred alongside "City Class" 3717 City of Truro, ex GWR 2884 2-8-0 3850, ex GWR 4575 "Small Prairie" 5526, ex GWR 1400 1450 and auto coach W178, Stanier "Black Five" 4-6-0 45305 "Alderman A E Draper" Gresley 2-6-0 K4 61994 "The Great Marquess" and Maunsell 4-6-0 ex SR King Arthur Class 30777 "Sir Lamiel".
She has visited the Mid Hants Railway, starring alongside GWR'City' Class 4-4-0 3717 City of Truro, BR Riddles Standard Class 5 73096, Newly restored LMS Stanier 'Black 5' 4-6-0 45379 and others.
She was the star engine for the Mail by Rail gala , operating on the 23/24 July 2011.
And she will appear alongside 6023 King Edward II at the Steam Railway magazine sponsored Steam Gala in October.
The locomotive is maintained on behalf of her owner by the Pitchford Hall Locomotive Society and the Great Central Railway at Loughborough Locomotive Works.
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
Hall class
GWR 4900 Class
The Great Western Railway 4900 Class or Hall Class is a class of 4-6-0 mixed traffic steam locomotives designed by Charles Collett. A total of 259 were built, 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...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
built by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) at Swindon Works
Swindon Works
Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire.-History:In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of a railway between London and Bristol. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel.From 1836, Brunel had been buying...
in August 1929 for a cost of £4375.
The locomotive worked from a wide variety of sheds all over the GWR network until withdrawal by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways in May 1963. It covered 1,344,464 miles over that period.
"Pitchford Hall" was acquired by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in October 1963 and there it stayed, being stripped of components, until purchase by its current owner in 1984.
Preservation
Eventually 4953 was moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works where a full mainline standard restoration was carried out; the loco moved under its own power for the first time in February 2004. It made its first public appearance in 42 years at the Crewe Great Gathering in September 2005, being seen by over 40,000 people in three days. 4953 obtained its mainline certification in December 2005 after making the required light and loaded test runs from BirminghamBirmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
to and back.
The locomotive currently carries a "transitional" livery of the 1948 period with "G W" lettering on the tender, unlined with a smokebox number plate.
In February 2007 "Pitchford Hall" performed at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England. It runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley railway station...
's Winter Steam Gala, and on the 19 May 2007 performed in tandem with 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall
GWR 4900 Class 4965 Rood Ashton Hall
The Great Western Railway steam locomotive no. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall is a 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive. It is currently preserved at Tyseley Locomotive Works...
" on a trip to Bristol from their Tyseley base.
The loco also took part in the 2007 season "Harringworth Viaduct Shuttles" and a series of shuttle trains from Birmingham to Kidderminster in conjunction with the Severn Valley Railway's Autumn Gala in place of 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall" which failed due to a flue tube problem.
During 2009, she operated two Shakespeare Express steam services between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford upon Avon on behalf of Vintage Trains and West Coast Railway company. On 31st August 2009, 4953 also operated a railtour to Corby Northamptonshire via the Harringworth Viaduct. 4953 started from Tyseley Warwick Road onto the Birmingham to Peterborough line via Nuneaton, Hinckley, Narborough, and on to the Midland Mainline at Leicester, Syston, Sileby, Barrow Upon Soar, branching again onto the Birmingham to Peterborough line via Melton Mowbray, Oakham and onto Manton Junction travelling over the Harringworth Viaduct and finally to Corby and return, piloting Class 47/4 47580 County of Essex on the return from Leicester to Tyseley. In October 2009 she ran ran light engine with 5029 Nunney Castle and support coach to the West Somerset Gala, operating services between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, Somerset.
2010 seen 4953 star at the Tyseley Locomotive Works steam gala before moving to the Great Central Railway. Her first weekend in traffic their saw her star in the 'Mail by Rail' gala, starring in two 'TPO drops' over the weekend. Highlight for 2010 saw 4953 star in various GWR175 events, it travelled to the Llangollen Railway double heading with the iconic GWR 'City' 3717 City of Truro, and operating at the West Somerset Railway before returning to Loughborough.
So far in 2011, "Pitchford Hall" starred in the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway (preserved)
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...
's 2011 Winter Steam Gala called "The Banbury Cross" where she starred alongside "City Class" 3717 City of Truro, ex GWR 2884 2-8-0 3850, ex GWR 4575 "Small Prairie" 5526, ex GWR 1400 1450 and auto coach W178, Stanier "Black Five" 4-6-0 45305 "Alderman A E Draper" Gresley 2-6-0 K4 61994 "The Great Marquess" and Maunsell 4-6-0 ex SR King Arthur Class 30777 "Sir Lamiel".
She has visited the Mid Hants Railway, starring alongside GWR'City' Class 4-4-0 3717 City of Truro, BR Riddles Standard Class 5 73096, Newly restored LMS Stanier 'Black 5' 4-6-0 45379 and others.
She was the star engine for the Mail by Rail gala , operating on the 23/24 July 2011.
And she will appear alongside 6023 King Edward II at the Steam Railway magazine sponsored Steam Gala in October.
The locomotive is maintained on behalf of her owner by the Pitchford Hall Locomotive Society and the Great Central Railway at Loughborough Locomotive Works.