4953 Pitchford Hall - Great Central

On behalf of the owner/group, I would like to confirm that 4953 Pitchford Hall will be moving to the Great Central railway.
At long last we will be able to see her stretch her legs regularly at long last!

 

She's running today and tommorow at Tyseley GWR gala, but the last time she ran in anger on the mainline was the Shakespeare Express on the 13 September 2009, and ECS to Bishops Lydeard for the WSR gala with 5029 Nunney Castle, and after that the Tyseley Halls 80th Birthday celebrations last year.

 

Will be used regularly on GCR trains as well as making appearances for the 2 Steam Gala's in October & January?

 

Be nice to see her get some regular use, though I've just read Steam Rly Mag which reports JFK has listed 4953, 4141 and 4121 for sale. Interesting times ahead for the Hall.

 

Interesting times ahead, with seemingly more and more locos coming onto the market. You do have to wonder if some of the prices fetched in recent times will be matched and if there is a trend towards locos passing from the hands of private owners to railways. If there is, it will presumably be the bigger railways that will be the main beneficiaries.

 

Thats not good news if she is going to sit in a siding, taking up space without us being allowed to use her again like she did before! She is hardly going to fit in with the LNER gala I believe we have planned for October?

 

I can assure you it wont be sitting in a siding! We are very much looking forward to seeing her stretch her legs, she will be hauling trains regularly as per the agreement we have with the GCR. She shouldnt be running at the LNER theme gala in October but definetely for the January 2010 gala. Future is looking bright for John Kennedy's 4953 Pitchford Hall and 4141.

 

Forgot to add that 4953 Pitchford Hall is now a star guest steam loco for the Mail by Rail gala starring alongside Class 55 Deltic D9009 Alycidon.

 

Great, She may not be LNER but unless your going to travel several hundred miles then we don't get that many chances to see a GWR engine in action in this neck of the woods.

 

I understand 4141 is in quite good condition, and is ideally sized for a preserved railway. Just needs an overhaul.

 

Not if I won the millions first you wouldn't! I remember 4141 as a youngster on that line too! It's actually the only locomotive number I can remember (I never wrote them down - silly!)

 

Will certainly be nice to see 4953 at the GCR.

Paul

 

She was recertified in 2005, so shes got two years mainline left and her boiler ticket expires 2015.

 

It is still being stripped down at Llangollen. It won't be know what condition the boiler is in untill all the tubes have been removed, and it has been NDT tested...

Hopefully the valves will be sorted out aswell!

 

What condition is 4121 in?

 

Waiting to have a lot of money spent on it.

 

Unlike last time it was at the GC then...