GWR 4900 Class 4979 Wootton Hall

GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 No. 4979 Wootton Hall is a steam locomotive. It was built at Swindon, February 1930, and was one of 258 Hall class steam locomotives constructed.

GWR 4900 Class 4979 Wootton Hall
4979 Wootton Hall hauling a set of empty wagons down the ex-GW main line, approaching Reading at Kennet Bridge Box.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerCharles Collett
BuilderGWR Swindon Works
Build dateFebruary 1930
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
Loco weight75 tons (68 t)
Career
OperatorsGreat Western Railway, British Railways
ClassGWR 4900 (Hall)
Numbers4979
Official nameWootton Hall
First runFebruary 1930
Last runDecember 1963
WithdrawnDecember 1963
Current ownerFurness Railway Trust
DispositionUndergoing restoration from scrapyard condition

Its first shed allocation was Plymouth Laira and after 32 years of service it ended up at Oxford. During this time it was allocated to sheds in Penzance, Tyseley, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff Canton, and ended its days in the London Division of the Western Region of British Railways, based at Southall, Reading, Didcot and finally Oxford in July 1958. It was used for a variety of duties including fast passenger service and freight.[1]

It was withdrawn from service in December 1963 and acquired by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales, in June 1964.[2]

Allocations & History

The locations of 4979 on particular dates. (UNFINISHED)

February 1930 (First Shed) Plymouth Laira, LA then 83D
? Oxford, OXY then 81F
? Penzance, PZ then 83G
? Tyseley, TYS then 84E
? Severn Tunnel Junction, 86E
? Cardiff Canton, CTN then 86C
21 March 1953 Southall, 81C
8 October 1955 Didcot, 81E
5 October 1957 Reading, 81D
12 June 1958 Oxford, 81F
31 December 1963 Withdrawn
June 1964 Acquired by Barry Scrapyard
October 1986 Purchased for preservation

Preservation
Wootton Hall standing inside the FRT shed awaiting restoration.

Of the 259 Hall Class locomotives built, 11 have been preserved with no. 4979 being one of several Halls salvaged from Woodhams' Scrapyard. It was sold to Fleetwood Locomotive Centre in Lancashire, and left as the 179th departure from Barry in October 1986.[2]

In 1994 it was purchased by the Furness Railway Trust and moved to storage at the Lytham Motive Power Museum. In March 2007 it was again moved to a new storage site at Appleby where, during its time at the Heritage Centre there, preventative maintenance was carried out[1] to prevent further decay on the locomotive but the years of being by the sea air at Barry and Fleetwood has taken its toll.

Once the FRT's new accommodation in Preston was completed, 4979 was moved from Appleby in October 2014, to the Ribble Steam Railway at Preston where restoration has since begun. The tender tank was almost immediately removed and is now sat in the yard awaiting eventual disposal (but remains as a template for the new tender tank). As many re-usable parts as possible have also been recovered from the remains of the tender frames for eventual re-use on the locomotives restored tender. The remains of the locos drag box have been cut away for replacement and a number of small parts from the loco are also being worked on. The long term goal for the FRT is to restore the locomotives tender first and then when the tender is completed and funding has been raised, restore Wootton Hall to her former glory.

References
  1. "Great Western Railway 4-6-0 4979 "Wootton Hall"". Furness Railway Trust. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  2. "'Hall' class details, 4950 - 4999". The Great Western Archive. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
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