GWR 4900 Class 4965 Rood Ashton Hall

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4965 Rood Ashton Hall
4965 Rood Ashton Hall at Tyseley Locomotive Works
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett Builder Swindon Works Build date November 1929
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2′C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 0 in (1.829 m) Minimum curve 8 chains (528 ft; 161 m) normal, 7 chains (462 ft; 141 m) slow Length 63 ft 0+1⁄4 in (19.21 m) over buffers Width 8 ft 11+1⁄4 in (2.724 m) Height 13 ft 1 in (3.988 m) Axle load 18 long tons 19 cwt (42,400 lb or 19.3 t) (21.2 short tons) Adhesive weight 57 long tons 0 cwt (127,700 lb or 57.9 t) (63.8 short tons) Loco weight 75 long tons 0 cwt (168,000 lb or 76.2 t) (84.0 short tons) Fuel type Coal (Oil)[1]
Career Operators Vintage Trains Class 4900 Hall Class Numbers 4983; renumbered 4965 Official name Albert Hall; renamed Rood Ashton Hall Polar Star (temporarily) Retired March 1962 Current owner Vintage Trains Ltd Disposition Stored, Awaiting Overhaul

The Great Western Railway steam locomotive no. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall is a 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive. It is preserved at Tyseley Locomotive Works. The engine operates in its Great Western Railway green livery, and performs regularly on the Shakespeare Express, operated by Vintage Trains, between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as various excursions.

4965 was built in November 1929 and its first shed allocation was Plymouth Laira and after 32 years of service it ended up at Oxford. During this time it was allocated to sheds in Penzance, Tyseley, Severn Tunnel Junction, Cardiff Canton, and ended its days in the London Division of the Western Region of British Railways, based at Southall, Reading, Didcot and finally Oxford in July 1958. It was used for a variety of duties including fast passenger service and freight.

It was withdrawn from service in March 1962 and acquired by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in the same year.^[2][3]

4965 was rescued from Barry Scrapyard in October 1970 becoming the first member of the class to leave the scrapyard and enter preservation, the locomotive left Barry Scrapyard as the 10th departure.^[4][5] Previously identified as 4983 Albert Hall, having been rebuilt in 1962 using parts from both original engines Albert Hall and Rood Ashton Hall. Both locomotives had their numbers stamped onto their respective parts. The purchasing group of enthusiasts thought they were buying 4983 Albert Hall but after later restoration discovered some of the parts had been stamped 4965 and some 4983.^[6] Rood Ashton Hall now has plates and numbers on one side that say 4983 Albert Hall for enthusiasts to see once again but still hauls Rood Ashton Hall's original tender. Albert Hall's original tender was a large Collett tender,^[7] so the only incarnation of 4983 Albert Hall and tender is Hornby's tri-ang model.

In November 2008, Rood Ashton Hall was taken out of service for overhaul after hauling the Rood Ashton Hall Farewell train from Solihull to Didcot Parkway.

The engine's 10-year overhaul took just a few months due to an ongoing programme of maintenance work that had been previously carried out during periods of low main line activity. It returned to the mainline in October 2009 and completed its full ten-year operating certificate before being withdrawn again in September 2019 for a further overhaul, which it awaits.

Right before being withdrawn in 2019, the engine was temporarily renamed Polar Star, and was used to pull the Polar Express Train Ride between Birmingham Moor Street and Tyseley,^[8] albeit having a headlamp mounted on the center of the smokebox door. With the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic and the engine still being out of service awaiting overhaul, the 2020 Birmingham ride was canceled.

In January 2024 it was announced^{[by whom?]} that 4965 is to be the next Tyseley resident engine to be sent into the works for an overhaul which is expected to cost £100,000.^[9] The overhaul alongside a retube will include modifications to the engines cylinders for gauging reasons and conversion to oil burning using a GWR oil-firing system (eleven Halls between 1946 and 1950 were converted to oil burning becoming 3900's).^[10] It was confirmed^{[by whom?]} in March 2024 that 4965 will be converted to oil-firing during the engines next overhaul which will commence in March 2024, upon returning to traffic she will see primary use on "Shakespeare Express" and "Polar Express" trains.^{[11][needs update]}

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