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County1006 — The last '79'
#engine #freight #gwr #loco #steam #swindon #train #7903 #toddington #modifiedhall #gloucestershirewarwickshirerailway #foremarkehall #locomotive #britishrailways
Published: 2019-02-07 21:57:53 +0000 UTC; Views: 569; Favourites: 44; Downloads: 0
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Description
British Railways-built 'Modified Hall' 4-6-0 No. 7903 'Foremarke Hall' waits tender-first on freight at Toddington, June 1, 2008. Note the bogie 'Queen Mary' brake van next to the engine. This view details the Hawksworth flat-sided tender, which I'm told was a dreadful beast with the fire-irons stowed in a tunnel by the coal space, difficult to either remove or put back. Fortunately, I never suffered this, being used to the Collett tender where the fire-irons just rested in a channel on one side.Two of the '79' series of 'Modified Halls' survived in Barry Scrapyard but, with the dismantling of no. 7927 to provide donor parts for new-build projects, 7903 is now the last '79' in existence. All the other 'Modified Halls' are numbered in the 6959-6999 series but, as far as I know, are otherwise identical to No. 7903.
I have ordered a Bachmann model of 7903 for my layout so there may be a picture or two in due course.....
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Comments: 21
Much prefer the curves of the Collett tender than the featureless Hawksworth tender.
That said I am not a big fan of the cab design. Managed to hit my head on the cab roof when we had Witherslack Hall visiting.
Cracking locos out on the road
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Well the powers that be on the Western never made crew comfort their priority!
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No indeed although the cab does well at keeping a good chunk of the weather off you when smokebox first.
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That's true Ben but those little wooden tip-up seats may as well not be there - not that there is much chance to sit down!
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It was one of them that caused me to bump my head on the roof!
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Was when I went to stand up! Only did it once. Just happened we hit a rail joint and it made it seem worse!! Not that I could stand still to protest as I had several shovels of coal to stick on!
Was a lovely steaming engine though. Couldn't really fault it except the cab roof. I'd go on one again without thinking. Good riding too
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They were superb engines Ben. Back in my young days there were several at Laira that worked into Cornwall and a couple in the Duchy at St. Blazey and Penzance. The only one I really remember is 7905 'Fowey Hall' which was a Laira one. Such a pity they have had to dismantle 'Willington' to make the new 'County' and 'Grange'.
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Yes indeed. It did seem to be a shame to do that but I guess that was the downside to Swindon's standardization program that meant they could use Willington Hall for the projects.
On the other hand, like Swindon, they would have saved a small fortune by being able to use available parts rather than all being built from scratch.
Still feels wrong in a way. At least with the Grange Cogan Hall will be restored to working order eventually. That is a plus.
Also it was a shame that the only Doncaster 8F was broken up for bits. The only example of an LNER built Stanier 8F and no longer with us
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Yes you're right Ben. I still cringe thinking of Didcot 'kit-bashing' a 49 series Hall to make a Saint - although I will probably still photograph it!
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So do I. I won't be chasing it unless it is where I will be visiting. I don't tend to follow the new build pages in Steam Railway magazine..
Same with Tornado. I try and avoid it at all costs.
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I call it all 'Frankensteam!'
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Now there's a good name for them!
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Somebody else has probably thought of it already!
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So cool! I much prefer the Modified Halls, which I say are the best steam locomotives to emerge from the Swindon Locomotive Works.
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The feeling amongst engine crews was that a Modified Hall in good condition was nearly (or possibly completely) the equal of a Castle.
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Somebody once said that they were every bit as good as a Castle Ten Wheeler because there were soooo many banks on the Devon line~
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Yes and the eight-and-a-half inch smaller driving wheels of the Hall as compared with the Castle helped with that. They were good in Cornwall too.
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A great capture, my Friend and I look forward to your new layout.
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Thanks Daniel - same layout but new loco! Always making changes though!
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