The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway will become 'home' to a former British Railways locomotive that has just returned to steam after an overhaul lasting nearly 25 years.

The locomotive - number 7903 Foremarke Hall - was one of the last batch of Great Western 'Modified Hall' class engines built at Swindon Works. Although every inch a Great Western thoroughbred, the engine was completed by British Railways in 1949.

It is expected to arrive at Toddington in April.

The Modified Hall class were know as 'greyhounds' because of their reputation for fast running. No 7903 distinguished itself in 1951 when, hauling a boat train from London to Plymouth, became the first locomotive to cover the distance in less than four hours.

Foremarke Hall is owned by a group of enthusiasts who formed the Foremarke Hall Transport Group and in 1981, bought the engine from a scrap yard in South Wales. They moved it close to its place of birth at Blunsdon, on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway and, over the years, have painstakingly restored the engine to its former glory. In September 2003 it steamed for the first time since withdrawal from British Railways in 1964.

Says Jim Clarke, Chairman of the owning group: "Although the Swindon & Cricklade railway have kindly hosted us all these years, at present the line is only one mile long. So we have been looking for a railway that would enable no. 7903 to 'stretch its legs' and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway was an obvious choice.

"Our view is that the GWR is a line that is really going places and its two recent major award wins prove that. And it's not too far for our own volunteers to come to see their handiwork in action."

Ian Crowder, the GWR's commercial director, says: "We're thrilled the owners of Foremarke Hall have chosen our line as their home. We expect the engine to become the mainstay of our 2004 services and we're sure it will be popular amongst visitors.

"Our own resident Hall class engine, Raveningham Hall, has just been withdrawn for a major overhaul. We expect the newcomer to arrive by road during April and it will star in our Spring Gala, over the weekend of 7th, 8th and 9th May.

For further details of the locomotive, click here and select 7903.