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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hockley Station: gwrhd3095

BR built 4-6-0 Modified Hall No 7919 'Runter Hall' passes through Hockley Station on the down main line

British Railways 4-6-0 Modified Hall (6959) class No 7919 ' Runter Hall' passes through Hockley Station on the down main line with a northbound express (indicated by the class A lamp headcode - see 'Headcode'). This photograph was taken in 1964, which was when the up-side goods yard at Hockley was taken out of use, but the 25ton gantry crane still presided over the empty Round yard. All frieght traffic at Hockley ceased on 7th August 1967 and the down-side goods yard was removed in the Spring of 1969.

Following the appointment of Mr Hawksworth as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway in 1941, the traditional locomotive designs which had served the company well for over forty years were radically overhauled to take advantage of the changes in the manufacturing technology that had been introduced during the Second World War. Designs were generally simplified, with full length plate frames, and more parts were now fabricated instead of cast. This particularly effected the smokebox saddle and bogie construction. In addition, issues such as coal quality and locomotive maintenance were addressed, resulting in; outside steam pipes, larger superheaters, higher boiler temperature and mechanical lubrication. Although these alterations slightly increased the modified Hall locomotive's maximum axle weight to 19 tons, 5 cwt, this did not affect the route classification (Route Colour – Blue, see 'Engine Map'). Seventy-one of these modified Hall class locomotives were built at Swindon Works between 1944 and 1950, with No 7919 built in May 1950 as part of lot 368. No 7919 was initially allocated to Reading shed (81D) where the locomotive spent most of its service life. Before Reading shed closed in January 1965, the locomotive transferred to Oxford shed (81F) and this shed code can be seen roughly painted on the buffer beam in this photograph (taken in 1964). These were no longer the glamorous days of steam power; locomotive nameplates were removed and in December 1965, just prior to Oxford shed closing in January 1966, No 7919 was withdrawn from there to be sold for scrap by Cashmore in Newport.

Robert Ferris

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