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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton
GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line
Birmingham Snow Hill - British Railways Period Locomotives:
gwrbsh1305
An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Modified Hall class locomotive
is seen with snow on the ground shunting in the yard to the North of Snow Hill
station. The Modified Halls marked the most radical change to Swindon Works'
practice since Churchward's time as chief mechanical engineer. Hawksworth's use
of plate frames throughout the design was a daring break with Churchward's
practice. The cylinders were cast separately from the smokebox saddle and
bolted to the frames on each side. A stiffening brace was inserted between the
frames and extended to form the smokebox saddle. The exhaust pipes leading from
the cylinders to the blastpipe were incorporated into this assembly.
The first of the Modified Halls was outshopped from Swindon
in 1944. It carried plain black livery and was unnamed. After the
nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948, British Railways continued
construction of this Great Western class until 1950 with some Modified Halls
being equipped with a flat, high-sided Hawksworth tenders. Once Hawksworth
became Chief Mechanical Engineer many earlier locomotives also received these
tenders so a Hawksworth tender does not necessarily mean a Hawksworth
locomotive.
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