Category: Cinema

From the Archives – DUMBLETON HALL

I recently read that Great Western Railway (GWR) 4900 ‘Hall’ class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL had been bought by Warner Brothers and exported to Japan for display in the Harry Potter exhibit at Warner Bros Studios Tour in Tokyo.

GWR 4900 class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL-20130807GWR 4900 class 4-6-0 4920 DUMBLETON HALL
South Devon Railway, 7 August 2013

Built at the Great Western Railway’s Swindon Works in 1929, 4920 was withdrawn from Bristol Barrow Road shed by British Railways in December 1965 and sent for scrap. Preservation beckoned in June 1976 and 4920 became the 82nd departure from Barry scrapyard, finally returning to steam in 1992 on the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway (now known as the Dartmouth Steam Railway).

The locomotive’s owners subsequently purchased the Dart Valley Railway (now known as the South Devon Railway) and 4920 was loaned to various heritage lines before returning to the Dartmouth Steam Railway where it was last steamed in October 1999 before moving to Buckfastleigh on the SDR for storage.

Above is the only pic I have (and now likely will ever have) of 4920, taken during a flying visit to the SDR in August 2013.

From the Archives – Wisbech & Upwell Tramway bogie tramcar

Whilst searching for the image of ‘DRAKE’ for my previous post I also turned up this…

Great Eastern Railway bogie tramcar No.7-19990829Great Eastern Railway bogie tramcar No.7
Rutland Railway Museum

It’s the body of Great Eastern Railway (GER) bogie tramcar No.7 that was used on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway in East Anglia (made famous in the Reverend W. Awdry’s ‘Toby the Tram Engine’ book) and like ‘DRAKE’ was photographed at the Rutland Railway Museum near Cottesmore (now rebranded as Rocks by Rail).

Built at the GER’s Stratford Works in 1884 it was used on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway until passenger traffic ceased in 1927 when it was transferred to the Kelvedon and Tollesbury Light Railway in Essex. Withdrawn from service in 1951 it spent the following 23 years as an onion store before being preserved.

Acquired by the M&GN Joint Railway Society in 2002 it was restored and fitted with new running gear and now sees occasional use at the North Norfolk Railway (NNR).

Great Eastern Railway bogie tramcar No.7-20111001Great Eastern Railway bogie tramcar No.7
Sheringham station, North Norfolk Railway, October 2011

Readers familiar with the 1953 Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt will also recognise No.7 as sister vehicle No.8 had a starring role in the film. No.7 is now fitted with a replica of the bar used to persuade Stanley Holloway’s character ‘Walter Valentine’ to finance the railway in the film.

Hudswell Clarke & Co Ltd 'WISSINGTON' (works no.1700 of 1938)-20141004Hudswell, Clarke & Co. Ltd. 0-6-0ST ‘WISSINGTON’ passes Sheringham West signal box (GER No.7 is the first vehicle in the train)
North Norfolk Railway, October 2014

The North Norfolk Railway is also appealing for funds to help them survive the Covid-19 situation… please consider making a donation here.