GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hatton Bank: gwrhb1472

British Railways built 4-6-0 Modified Hall No 7904 'Fountains Hall' is seen at the head of Southern region stock on an express from Weymouth on 15 August 1964. Built at Swindon works to Lot 368 in April 1949, No 7904 was a member of the 6959 class designed by Mr Hawksworth, the GWR's last Chief Mechanical Engineer, soon after he took charge. They were specifically designed for burning the inferior coal then available in the post-Second World War period. After the first batch of twelve Modified Halls (Lot 350) were built at the end of World War Two, a flush sided tender was introduced. At the time of the photograph No 7904 had just over a year left in service being withdrawn in December 1965 from Oxford shed (81F) to be scrapped in June 1966 by J Cashmore of Newport.

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