GWR 6959 Class 6960 Raveningham Hall

6960 Raveningham Hall is a Great Western Railway, 4-6-0 Modified Hall Class locomotive, built in March 1944 at Swindon Works to a design by Frederick Hawksworth. It is one of six of this class that survive in preservation. The locomotive is named after Raveningham Hall in Norfolk.

6960 Raveningham Hall
6960 "Raveningham Hall" departing Blue Anchor station on the West Somerset Railway
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerFrederick Hawksworth
Build dateMarch 1944
Specifications
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Career
Class6959 Modified Hall Class
RetiredJune 1964
Current ownerJeremy Hosking
DispositionPreserved
6960 "Raveningham Hall" in 1957

Operation

Its first shed allocation was Old Oak Common with a transfer to Reading in September 1953, then to its last shed allocation Oxford in September 1963. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in June 1964[1] and sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales for cutting up.

Preservation

6960 was saved for preservation and left the yard in October 1972 as the 26th departure from Barry having been acquired by Mr. David Edleston of Derby. It was eventually sold to Mr Brian Thomas and moved to Steamtown Carnforth. Restored in 1975, the locomotive took part in the Stockton and Darlington Railway 150th Anniversary celebrations at Shildon.

In 1977 6960 moved to the Severn Valley Railway[2] where she ran with 4930 Hagley Hall's tender while her own was put behind 4930. In 1978 6960 became the first SVR-based locomotive to haul a rail tour on the main line.[3]

Following a decision by the owner to sell the locomotive, 6960 left the Severn Valley Railway in late 1996, initially moving to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.[4] Sold to Jeremy Hosking, by 2008 it was at The Flour Mill workshops in the Forest of Dean receiving a thorough overhaul. It has subsequently been based at the West Somerset Railway but due to newly imposed weight restrictions, was temporarily transferred to the Severn Valley Railway in May 2019 in exchange for the lighter 7802 Bradley Manor.[5] It was later decided in November 2019 that 6960 was to remain at the Severn Valley Railway for the remainder of its present boiler certificate and would once again become an SVR-based engine.[6]

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References
  1. "6960 Raveningham Hall". BRDatabase. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  2. Severn Valley Railway News Issue 44, Summer 1977, p. 31.
  3. Severn Valley Railway News Issue 48 Summer 1978, p. 10.
  4. Severn Valley Railway News Issue 121 Winter 1996-97, p. 20.
  5. "The return of 'Ratbag'!". Severn Valley Railway. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  6. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/11/steam-locomotive-6960-raveningham-hall-set-to-stay-at-the-severn-valley-railway.html/amp 6960 to remain at Severn Valley Railway
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