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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Grouping Period Locomotives: gwrbsh3047

Great Western Railway 4-6-0 No 4924 ‘Eyardon Hall’ entering Snow Hill with an up class A express in 1934

Great Western Railway 4-6-0 49xx (Hall) class No 4924 ‘Eyardon Hall’ entering Snow Hill with an up class A express in 1934. The Great Western Railway Hall class proved to be a most successful mixed traffic locomotive and the class eventually totalled 330 locomotives built between 1928 and 1950. They had a standard No 1 boiler operating at 225 lb and developing a tractive effort at 85% of 27,275 lbs (Power Group D). The maximum axle weight was 18 tons, 19 cwt, which limited the locomotives to main lines and a few branch lines (Route Classification Red), but they found both freight and express passenger work in abundance. For more information about locomotive classification on the Great Western Railway see 'Route Map'.

No 4924 was built in May 1929 at Swindon Works as part of lot 254 and was initially allocated to Old Oak Common Shed (PDN) outside Paddington. At the start of 1934, No 4924 was at Swindon Works undergoing a general overhaul and boiler change before being allocated to Chester Shed (CHR) in February 1934, where No 4924 remained until allocated to Tyseley Shed (TYS) in April 1935. No 4924 was withdrawn from Swindon in October 1963 having travelled 1,364,143 miles and sold for disposal to Messrs Coopers Ltd at Swindon in December 1963.

The tender (number 2249) is a 3,500 gallon Collett flush bottom pattern of lot A118. These were built between April 1929 and March 1930 and had 5½ ton of coal capacity. Behind the tender is a horse box van (telegraphic code PACO). Horse Box vans were used to transport valuable horses to hunts and race meetings. Within the van there was a stock compartment which could be partitioned to provide individual stables for several horses or left open as a loose box for a mare with her foul. There was also a separate fodder/tack compartment (closest to the tender) and a passenger compartment for the groom(s). The vans were classified as passenger stock being fitted with vacuum brakes and oil axle boxes which allowed them to run at express speeds. Occupied horse box vans were normally positioned next to the engine when traveling in passenger trains, to ensure a smoother ride for their precious cargo. This particular horse box van does not appear to be a Great Western Railway design.

This photograph is displayed courtesy of the HMRS (Historical Model Railway Society) and copies can be ordered directly from them using the link HERE, quoting 'AEV433'.

Robert Ferris

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