GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Harbury Cutting and Tunnel: gwrhc1488

Ex-Great Western No 4707 a 2-8-0 47xx class heavy freight locomotive effortlessly heading down towards Leamington from Harbury tunnel. The Class C headlamp code indicates an express freight fitted throughout with an automatic vacuum brake operative on not less than half of the vehicles. No 4707 was built at Swindon (Lot 221) in April 1923. The nine locomotives in this class were designed to operate the heavy night express freight trains to the Capital from the West Country and Midlands, but in British Railways’ days they also hauled summer excursion passenger traffic between Paddington and Devon. No 4707 was known to have been initially allocated to Laira (Plymouth) shed, allocated to Old Oak Common shed in both December 1934 and December 1947 and to Southall in August 1950. No 4707 was withdrawn from Old Oak Common shed in May 1964.

Robert Ferris

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