GWR 4900 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 4900 Class or "Hall Class" is a type of rebuilt 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Charles Collett, for 'Mixed Traffic' applications.
They were all named after English and Welsh country houses with 'Hall' in their titles and so became known as the 'Hall Class'.
The class were built from 1928 to 1943. The further "Modified Hall Class" locomotives were built until 1950.
==History==
The prototype was the No. 4900 Saint Martin, which was a rebuild of No. 2925 Saint Martin, which was a GWR Saint Class locomotive. No. 4900 rolled out of Swindon Works in 1924.
Following three years of testing and improving, Collett placed an order with the Swindon Works, for the Hall Class. The first locomotives entered service in 1928. Though the Hall Class locomotives differ even to their prototype, the 4900 Class can be seen as a continuation of the 2900 "Saint" Class. There were about 259 "Halls" made. 
On April 30, 1941, No. 4911 Bowden Hall took a direct hit during a bombing raid on the Keyham area of Plymouth and was later broken up. 
Eventually the remaining members of the class were withdrawn from active service from 1959 - 1966. 
== Preservation ==
Eleven members of the class have survived into preservation with all of them being rescued from the Woodham Brothers Scrapyard. Seven engines have run in preservation with all except 4920 Dumbleton Hall having operated on the mainline in preservation. 4942 in rebuilt form as 2999 Lady of Legend has operated in preservation but the remaining engines 4979 Wootton Hall, 5952 Cogan Hall and 5967 Bickmarsh Hall haven't yet run in preservation and are in the process of undergoing restoration from scrapyard condition.
In March 2024 it was confirmed that 4965 Rood Ashton Hall is to be converted to oil-firing during it's next overhaul. Eleven of the class we're converted to oil-firing between 1946 and 1950 with all returning to coal fired by 1950.
Image 	Number	Name 	Built 	Withdrawn 	Tender fitted	Owner 	Livery 	Home Base 	Current status 	Oil Fired 	Mainline Certified
 	4920 	Dumbleton Hall 	March 1929 	December 1965	Collett 	West Coast Railways 	Hogwarts Lined Red 	Warner Bros Studio Tour in Tokyo, Japan	Static display 	No 	No
 	4930 	Hagley Hall 	May 1929 	December 1963	Collett 	Severn Valley Railway 	GWR Lined Green 	Severn Valley Railway 	Operational 	No 	No
 	4936 	Kinlet Hall 	June 1929 	January 1964 	Collett 	Jon Jones Pratt 	BR Lined Green, Late Crest 	Tyseley Locomotive Works 	Undergoing Overhaul 	No 	No, to be Certified
 	4942 	Maindy Hall 	July 1929 	December 1963	Churchward 	Didcot Railway Centre 	GWR Lined Green, Garter Crest	Didcot Railway Centre 	Rebuilt into GWR 2900 Class No. 2999 Lady of Legend.	No 	No
 	4953 	Pitchford Hall 	August 1929 	May 1963 	Collett 	Epping Ongar Railway 	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem 	Epping Ongar Railway 	Operational 	No 	No
 	4965 	Rood Aston Hall	November 1930	March 1962 	Churchward 	Tyseley Locomotive Works 	GWR Lined Green, Coat of Arms	Tyseley Locomotive Works 	Undergoing Overhaul 	Yes (Undergoing conversion during overhaul)	No, to be Certified
150x150px	4979 	Wooton Hall 	February 1930	December 1963	Collett 	Furness Railway Trust 	 	Ribble Steam Railway 	Undergoing Restoration 	No 	No
 	5900 	Hinderton Hall 	March 1931 	December 1963	Collett 	Didcot Railway Centre 	GWR Lined Green, Coat of Arms	Didcot Railway Centre 	Static Display 	No 	No
 	5952 	Cogan Hall 	December 1935	June 1964 	Collett 	Betton Grange Society 	 	Tyseley Locomotive Works 	Awaiting Cosmetic Restoration 	No 	No
 	5967 	Bickmarsh Hall 	March 1937 	June 1964 	Collett 	Northampton and Lamport Railway	 	Northampton & Lamport Railway 	Undergoing Restoration 	No 	No
 	5972 	Olton Hall 	April 1937 	December 1963	Collett 	West Coast Railways 	Hogwarts Lined Red 	Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London 	Static Display 	No 	No
==In Popular Culture ==
*No. 4930 Hagley Hall was featured in the 1986 documentary "Steam Days".
*No. 5972 Olton Hall is famous for its appearances in the "Harry Potter" film series and the 2023 video game "Hogwarts Legacy" as the fictional "Hogwarts Express".
==Trivia==
*The Hall Class steam locomotives are actually rebuilt from numerous types of Great Western Railway standard (tender) steam locomotives. Such as the 3700 "City" Class.
*No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall is to become the first oil fired member of the class in preservation. It's conversion from coal to oil firing is being undertook during it's overhaul commencing in 2024.
*No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall when first rescued from Barry Scrapyard in 1970 was first assumed to be classmate 4983 Albert Hall, it's true identity was discovered in 1998 during the final stages of it's restoration and the engine emerged as 4965 on completion. The engine was also restored with a 3,500 gallon Churchward tender instead of the normal 4,000 gallon Collett tender.
==Gallery==
*Images
==Videos==
											
==References==
*Wikipedia.org
Category:Steam locomotives
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Category:4-6-0 steam locomotives
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Category:GWR 4900 "Hall" Class
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