Where can Halls operate

Could someone list routes where locomotives 4936, 4965 can operate?

 

I'd suggest your more likely to find them on Railway Lines than Bus Routes or Canals :bounce:

Seriously though, the routes they can work on are constantly changing due to engineering work to Bridges and Platforms and natural movement and wear of usage over many years (run a model train continually around a tight bend at high speed and watch the track move slightly if not held down, it's this effect on a bigger and much slower scale), as a result routes they used to fit on are now out of gauge, and some route they were barred from can become availible again.

Also some routes are out of gauge "in theory", basically meaning there's no recent record of a Hall going this way and as a result no one's checked to see if it fits or not.

You could try making a list of availible routes for Halls but I suspect it would quickly have some area's scrubbed out and others added.

 

Must be fairly wide.. 5972 has operated in many places across the country in its Harry potter livery.

 

I think you can rule out most of the former Southern Railway routes, particularly Kent. I believe that Halls did work through to Bournemouth in the inter-war period, but that doesn't count for anything in 2012. Hagley Hall did turn up on the Ludgershall branch in 1986 and then ran from Andover to Salisbury (and from there on to former GWR metals) without demolishing any bridges or platforms. I note that Tyseley have taken 5043 to Salisbury via Basingstoke, and are planning to do so again next April, but they have not, to my knowledge, ever run a Hall on a former SR main line.

Oh, one SR route where Halls can run - the Mid Hants. 4936 has paid a visit, possibly two,

 

Halls, as well as Granges and 43xx 2-6-0s, ran regularly to Bournemouth and Poole area well into the 60's from both Weymouth and Reading directions - whether they could now is very debatable as some stations/platforms were rebuilt during electrification (Parkstone certainly one example) and what effect that would have on clearances I dont know. I think the problem is the cylinder profile affecting certain structures. Yet ironically we had a King to Weymouth via Bournemouth some years ago which would never have happened in years gone by - have read that at least one Castle made it Bournemouth in steam days and had to go bak under special authority.
Dick

 

Funny you should mention that as I was thinking Swanage would make a good destination for a trip from Brum if the traction fits.

 

Or Gloucestershire!

I must confess, I'm a bit confused about Swanage. When some work was undertaken to increase maximum axle loadings, I'm sure I remember a SWanage Railway spokesman saying, "we can now run anything over the line except outside-cylinder GWR engines as they are out of gauge." Yet lo and behold, 7802 turns up as a guest engine at the gala two years ago and doesn't clout any platforms or demolish any overbridges.

 

Surely a "Hall" or any other loco for that matter can only go where it has been "guaged" by NR. Forget where the class operated in the past.

Reminds me of the incredible situation that happened on 15th August 1964 with a Bournemouth to Leeds through train. The Farnley Junction "Jubilee" was not available at Nottingham Victoria, so 6858 "Woolston Grange" continued to Sheffield Victoria, striking the platform edge at Sheffield Victoria but causing only superficial damage to a cylinder cladding on the engine. Sheffield could not provide a relief engine, but the Huddersfield driver refused to take the loco onwards to Leeds via Penistone, so a locomotive inspector drove 6858,and as far as I recall the Grange eventually came off at Huddersfield after striking and causing some damage to a wooden platform edge between Penistone and Huddersfield.

 

You can find everything on Flickr...

Here is a link (not mine) to the said incident

Woolston Grange at Hillhouse 1964 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

No doubt Rumpole might have more information but I believe checks were made specifically for 7802's visit and the line might not be quite as restrictive as had been assumed [think Kings are still 'banned' - but who knows!].
Once OOC's turntable can be re-sited and made operational I think trips from/to Birmingham might prove quite popular.

 

A gauging run with 7802 on the Swanage Railway in 2010 showed that there were no major issues though a 10mph restriction was required through Herston platform (cylinder clearances) and the loco pointed chimney towards Wareham. If an outside cyl GW loco was chimney towards Swanage there may be issues using the runround point at the buffer stop end of Swanage station itself due to cyl clearance but that may be only require alteration of a few coping stones (or a shunt release move). Hall cylinders are 2" higher than a Manor but otherwise very similar.

 

Thaks for the clarification. Sounds similar to 9017 on the Bluebell (OK, no outside cylinders, but still a GWR engine) which has some sort of restriction in the Horsted Keynes station area.