Raveningham Hall loco arrives at Margate’s Locomotive Storage site

Raveningham Hall Photo Jamie Horton

By John Horton with photos by Jamie Horton

A steam Loco arrived at the Locomotive Storage site – formerly part of the Hornby building – last night (September 7), having travelled from the Severn Valley Railway.

The loco had been taken out of regular service due to its boiler certificate having expired. These have to be renewed every 10 years, usually being re-certificated after overhaul.

Photo Jamie Horton

The loco is a Great Western Railway “Hall Class”, named “Raveningham Hall”, number 6860, originally built at the former GWR Works at Swindon, Wiltshire in 1944. The original ‘Hall’ 4900 Class locos were designed by Charles Collett. Frederick Hawksworth was responsible for the later ‘Modified Hall’ 6959 Class design, including Raveningham Hall. One of only 6 of this class now in preservation, it was first allocated to Old Oak Common Shed in London, transferring to Reading Depot in 1953. It was removed from regular  service in 1963 at its last shed, Oxford, and despatched to the “Locomotive Graveyard” of South Wales, at Woodham Brothers Ltd, Barry Island.

Photo Jamie Horton

Saved for preservation, it left the scrap yard in 1972, and was the 26th Loco saved from the cutters torch.

Having been based for many years at the Severn Valley Railway, it left in 1996, being sold to Jeremy Hosking -Locomotive Storage owner – and spent a while at the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway before going to The West Somerset Railway.

Photo Jamie Horton

However, new weight restrictions meant the loco was too heavy for the West Somerset  so in 2019 it moved back to the Severn Valley and swapped  with a “Manor Class” loco – 7802 “Bradley Manor.”

Photo Jamie Horton

The boiler certificate expired in July this year and it has now been given a temporary new home at the 1:1 site in Margate, although it is expected to only be there for a short while before heading off again for a full overhaul.

Photo John Horton

Locomotive Storage in Margate moves ahead with One to One railway collection museum

10 Comments

  1. what a pleasant change to see something real and functional, and not this usual nonsense that passes as art , these beautiful engines had a purpose in life , and still promote a lot of interest. i much prefer this to the unmade made bed.

  2. Good to see the exhibition gain another loco but a small point of order….The original ‘Hall’ 4900 Class locos were designed by Charles Collett. Hawksworth was responsible for the later ‘Modified Hall’ 6959 Class design, which, as its name suggests, was a development of the original Collett design. Raveningham Hall is one of the ‘Modified Hall’ 6959 Class locomotives …. Sub editors please note!!!!

    • There currently a lot of work going on behind the scenes in order for the museum to be able to open to the public including a new visitor centre. Planning permission was granted for this by TDC back in January. It’s mentioned in their website this could be up to three or years. Full details are available on the One:one Collection’s website.
      http://www.theonetoonecollection.co.uk/

    • Phyllis,
      Firstly, the Margate Hornby site is not rail connected and never has been.
      Secondly, even if it was the costs levied by Railtrack and other rail companies to use their lines is far in excess of what it costs to transport by road.
      Thirdly, for a steam locomotive to travel by rail it has to be expensively certified to travel over NR lines and is not a simple job to achieve, a lot of certification is involved.
      Other than that, I quite agree with you.🙂

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