FRIDAY was a day of excitement for volunteers at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway as it saw the rolling chassis and tender of Hawksworth ‘Modified Hall’ 4-6-0 class 6984 Owsden Hall arrive at Blunsdon, leaving just the boiler to follow in the near future.
Owsden Hall was the first ‘Modified Hall’ to be built by British Railways at Swindon, in February 1948, following nationalisation, and the dissolution of the big four groups, including the Great western Railway, on January 1, 1948.
Locomotive owner Trevor Westbury said: “I am very happy to accept the offer from the Swindon & Cricklade Railway of a home/base to complete the restoration of Owsden Hall, and look forward to continuing the restoration project.”
Mr Westbury has been working hard in the background, collecting the missing components, in order to complete the restoration.
Chris Denton, steam locomotive superintendent at the railway, thinks that the bottom end can be finished within two years, and the boiler, pending inspection by the railway’s insurers should follow soon after.
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