Kinlet Hall on course
GWR 4-6-0 No. 4936 Kinlet Hall continues to progress towards a return to main line action at Tyseley Locomotive Works, where it is under overhaul – and plans are now afoot for what work the 1929-built machine will undertake in due course.
Withdrawn from service on the West Somerset Railway during October 2016 for an overhaul, the locomotive is owned by Kinlet Hall Ltd, part of JJP Holdings South West Ltd, owned by transport operator Jonathan Jones-Pratt.
Progress
“We are aiming to get No. 4936 back soon,”he said.“We are well over 70% of the way now and pushing hard to get an end date so we can all enjoy seeing a popular Hall back out there again.
“The boiler requires one last push – we are ready to stay the boiler and then tube it. Of course, we will not wish to push on too far, as it will go out of sync. The bottom end has now had all of the preparation work carried out and is ready to drop back onto the wheels.
“The good news is the machining has seen great progress and it’s a case of a push to box it back together now.
“Our Hall is undergoing the most extensive overhaul since its first-time restoration, and I’m happy to confirm that the engine will be returned to Network Rail operational standards.”
Turning to its duties post-overhaul, Jonathan said:“No. 4936 will operate as part of the Tyseley locomotive fleet for the future, but we also plan to do some of our own trips in the West Country under a JJP Holdings tour programme, as well as hopefully seeing it back on West Somerset Railway metals once we have resolved the axle weight restriction challenges.”
Meanwhile, Kinlet Hall Ltd’s former main line certified support coach, BR Mk.1 BSK No. W17015, has been sold to BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust for use with No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester.
Commenting on the sale, Jonathan said:“It has not been doing this coach any good to just be sitting around – it’s a valuable asset and they all require effort to maintain them.
“We are also teaming up more closely with Tyseley Locomotive Works, and they have offered the use of their support coaches with No. 4936 for when its overhaul is completed.
Decision
“It was a sensible time to part with our support coach, and it allows the continued focus on our family’s engine, Kinlet Hall.
“We wish to the Duke’s team well with their purchase and thank them for using great business principles in the transaction, making it all very simple.
“It’s important to recognise the great efforts which have been made over the years to maintain the support coach for No. 4936, of course, but, having spoken to those support group members involved, they appear to understand our thinking since our coach did require a lot of upgrades to allow for continued operation on the national network.”