Miscellaneous

Hams Hall: misc_indust371

Robert Stephenson Hawthorn Works No 7151, CEGB No 9, is seen on shed at CEGB Hams Hall Power Station in April 1978. This locomotive was built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn in 1944 to work at Hams Hall Power Station at Sutton Coalfield which was built by the City of Birmingham. Hams Hall was a large generating station which was situated in a spacious site between the Water Orton to Tamworth and Water Orton to Whitacre Junction lines. Hams Hall A was built in 1928. Two more stations (Hams Hall B and C) were later built on the site, reputedly the largest in Europe at the time of their construction. It was quoted as burning approximately 774,000 tonnes of coal a year – much of it pulverised coal and all of it coming by rail. The City’s electricity generating and supply functions were nationalised in the late 1940s and in 1957 the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) took over the ownership of the plant. At the power station a fleet of powerful Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn 0-6-0ST locomotives were employed up to the mid 1970s. They were used to haul 1000 ton coal trains. 7151 was purchased by an Avvon Valley Railway Trust member from the CEGB.

Caption courtesy of Preserved Steam Locomotives.

back