Great Western Railway-designed Modified Hall class No. 7903 Foremarke Hall
Built: Swindon 1949

History
The 4900 or Hall class was designed by C B Collett to meet the need for a powerful mixed-traffic locomotive with wide route availability. Collett’s approach was to modify a ‘Saint’ class, no 2925 Saint Martin including fitting smaller diameter driving wheels. This prototype entered service in 1924 as no. 4900, retaining the name of its donor. A further 80 new Hall class locomotives followed from 1928 and so successful were they that several further orders were placed over subsequent years. When F W Hawkesworth took over from Collett he made a number of modifications to the design, the first emerging in 1944, and these locomotives became known as the ‘Modified Hall’ class. In all, 330 Hall and Modified Hall locomotives were built, the last emerging from Swindon in 1949, including Foremarke Hall which was withdrawn just 15 years later, in 1964. You can read more about the Hall class here

Preservation
Foremarke Hall was rescued from Barry scrapyard in 1981 by the Foremarke Hall Trust. Restored over 20 years at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, it arrived at Toddington in June 2004 and has been a regular performer on the line since then. It is equipped with the distinctive Hawksworth flat -sided tender of which very few survive – and there’s more about these tenders here.

Picture by Steve George showing 7903 emerging from Greet tunnel on 28/08/2006.

British Railways 9F class 2-10-0 no. 92203 Black Prince
Built: Swindon 1959

History
The final British Railways steam locomotive design, the 9Fs has a lamentably short life. Introduced in 1954, 251 of the class were built at Swindon and Crewe, for heavy freight work – although in practice, the engines did occasionally find themselves working passenger trains – particularly over the steeply-graded Somerset & Dorset line (of which 92203 is a veteran). No. 92203 was the 17th-to-last steam locomotive built for British Railways, being completed at Swindon in 1959, just months before 92220 Evening Star – the very last, in 1960.  Most of the class lasted less than a decade, well before the end of their useful lives.  92203 was withdrawn in 1968.

Preservation
Bought straight out of British Railways service by artist and wildlife conservationist David Shepherd, 92203 initially moved to the Longmoor Military Railway in Hampshire, later going on to spend some years at the East Somerset Railway.  David Shepherd named it Black Prince, a name it has carried ever since – many more years than its BR service. Three years ago an extensive overhaul was completed and it re-entered service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway where it is a permanent resident.  Re-dedicated by David and Alan Tichmarsh, the engine is now a popular performer on the GWR.

Picture 9F 2-10-0 no. 92203 Black Prince accelerates away from Gotherington on 25 November (Andrew Bell)

Great Western Railway 4575 class 2-6-2T no. 5542
Built: Swindon 1928

History
These really are the classic Great Western Railway locomotive built for light goods and passenger traffic. A smaller version of the ‘large Prairie’ introduced in 1903, the prototype of the class was turned out the following year to work the steeply graded lines of the West Country and Wales. 186 similar engines were built, the last emerging from Swindon works in 1929.  Various modifications were made during their production – the earlier examples known as 4500 class and the later ones 4575, which were equipped with larger, sloping, water tanks – as has 5542. It was delivered new to Gloucester and subsequently spent time at Cheltenham Malvern Road – so this is a homecoming!  It was withdrawn from service in 1961.

Preservation
5542 was purchased by a group of supporters of the West Somerset Railway in 1979 and then followed a 23-year restoration – the engine returning to steam in 2002. Since then, it successfully worked on the West Somerset Railway and in 2005, it moved to the South Devon Railway, paying a visit to the GWR’s successful Centenary Festival last year.  It is now spending 2007 based at Toddington and has become a firm favourite with GWR crews as well as visitors who are captivated by this truly charming yet sprightly and powerful little locomotive – it is dubbed the ‘Planet’s Favourite Prairie’ by its owners!

During the Festival, the engine will be paired with Autotrailer 178 which is returning for the second time.