GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Rowington Junction & Troughs: gwrrj2778

An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Hall Class locomotive is seen on a Class B working when picking up water. The two headlamp configuration indicates to relevant railwaymen that its a Class B service which discribed an 'Ordinary Passenger train; mixed train or breakdown van train NOT going to clear the line; Branch passenger train (To be used only where authorised by the regional Operating Officer). The Hall Class or 49xx Class were designed as mixed traffic steam locomotives designed by Charles Collett. A total of 259 were built, No 4900 to No 4999, No 5900 to No 5999 and No 6900 to No 6958. The LMS Class 5 4-6-0, designed by William Stanier (who was Swindon trained and where he spent much of his career) and the LNER Thompson Class B1, both drew heavily on design features of the Hall Class. After nationalisation in 1948, British Railways gave them the power classification 5MT.

back