Dumbleton Hall GWR 4900 class steam locomotive

[newbie babs]

My son saw this travelling up the M1 today. It had been sold to a private buyer.
Does anyone know anything about it ?

 

[fgwrich]

My son saw this travelling up the M1 today. It had been sold to a private buyer.
Does anyone know anything about it ?

I believe it has gone to Mr Smith at Carnforth and left the South Devon Railway last week.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

My son saw this travelling up the M1 today. It had been sold to a private buyer.
Does anyone know anything about it ?

I believe it has gone to Mr Smith at Carnforth and left the South Devon Railway last week.

I've only been able to find articles saying that she's been bought by a private buyer who didn't want to be named or the purchase price revealed. It's agreed, though that the destination is Carnforth for restoration.

 

[wagwan my g]

I've heard something about a future mainline use for it?

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I've heard something about a future mainline use for it?

There was no mention of this in either of the articles I found on her, although that doesn't make it wrong, of course.

 

[Cowley]

I've heard something about a future mainline use for it?

I had a feeling that it would be a back up loco for 5972 Olton Hall?
Ie for filming use when 5972 is out of ticket/under repair etc.

 

[D6130]

Does anyone know what happened to 4979 "Wootton Hall", which was on the loading bank at Appleby for several years?

 

[Tobbes]

Does anyone know what happened to 4979 "Wootton Hall", which was on the loading bank at Appleby for several years?

4979 Wootton Hall

4979 was built at Swindon, February 1930. Its first shed allocation was Plymouth Laira and after 32 years of service it ended up at Oxford. During this time it was allocate…

preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com

 

[Dave S 56F]

I was just wondering with the gauging problems with G.W.R. halls and their cylinders they are out of gauge cos they bulge out from under the running plate compared to other 4.6.0. Locos such as 5MT,s and jubilee locos and G.W.R. castles of station platform edges and another rumour that railway lines in some stations are pulled as close to the platform sides by N.R. civil engineers for new trains been built so people boarding or alighting have less risk of falling between the train and platform sides. And maybe this is why the halls are out of gauge on some N.R. lines like at Ashchurch in Worcester the lines have been pulled right up to the island platforms for modern new built trains and at one time halls used be able to go through Ashcurch but are now gauged out cos of this method N.R. have of relaying lines through stations for modern traction. But i was wondering would a 4920 be in gauge to run on the settle carlisle line once its restored if the new owner restores it to be mainline certified?

 

[alexl92]

In Steam Railway magazine issue 514 (8 Jan 21):

Steam Railway understands the buyer is David Smith, chairman of the Carnforth-based West Coast Railway Co., and owner of several other present and former main line steam locomotives - although true to character, and as witnessed in several past acquisitions, the gritty Yorkshireman flatly denies he is the purchaser.

"Why would I want another GWR Hall?" he questioned when SR put it to him that Dumbleton Hall had become his second 'Hall' after the runaway earnings of his Harry Potter/'Hogwards Castle' red-liveried film star No. 5972 Olton Hall (now on hire to Warner Bros' studio tour in Watford.

"I've more than enough bl**dy steam engines." he told us on December 23. If anyone wants to make me an offer for one, now that's something I might think about."

He later indicated he was looking for "a small tender engine, something like an LMS 2-6-0" to run at his private Aysgarth station.

One suggestion I've heard is that it will be restored for the mainline and painted up as Hogwarts Castle, or that it will be restored cosmetically as the Harry Potter loco and switched with Olton Hall to allow 5972 to return to the main line.

As far as I can tell, the WCRC 'pool' includes use of Ian Riley's 45407 and 44971, KWVR's 45212, Chris Beet's 45690 and LMS Princess 6201 plus their own Scot 46115, Jubilee 45699 and Merchant Navy 35018. That's a pool of 8 Class 5 to Class 8 locomotives.

In addition, 8F 48151, Black 5s 44932 and 44767 plus Bulleids 34067 and 34016 are under various stages of overhaul, repair or restoration.
If he's buying another locomotive that will need a significant amount of work doing to return it to mainline standard, you've gotta bet that he's got a clear plan for it to make money for him, surely? Otherwise he's spending money buying a locomotive, then spending more money to restore it (which will take a few years), only for it to join a pool to do exactly the same as 13 other locomotives he already has.

The article later states that 'the figure offered is in the top bracket that [the owning group] could expect for a loco that has been out of use for 20 years'. Bearing in mind they have previously rejected an offer in 2019 to take Dumbleton Hall on loan, restore it and run it, this must have been a damn good offer. Will be interesting to see.

 

[D1024]

Just curious....why would it be heading north on the M1 if travelling from South Devon to Carnforth?

 

[eMeS]

Just curious....why would it be heading north on the M1 if travelling from South Devon to Carnforth?

Perhaps following SatNav instructions?