Germany seeks own ‘Hogwarts Castle’
AMUSEUM IN Germany is on the look-out for a Great Western 4-6-0 to temporarily take up the guise of ‘Hogwarts Castle’. Bahnpark Augsburg, which is based in part of the city’s former roundhouse, already has a number of locomotives from various countries on display, including a French ‘Pacific’ and a Portuguese metre-gauge 2-4-6-0T Mallet.
However, the museum wants to add a British locomotive to its collection, “to receive it on loan, to restore it externally and then store and display it for a specified contractual time under cover. It does not need to be in operational condition,” said Walter Rothschild, a British enthusiast living in Germany who is assisting the museum in its search for a suitable locomotive.
Although the ideal locomotive would be a ‘Hall’, to emulate No. 5972 Olton Hall’s role as ‘Hogwarts Castle’ in the Harry Potter films, “for most visitors any 4-6-0 with a Collett cab and painted maroon would look the part,” said Rothschild.
He added: “Bahnpark Augsburg would arrange and sponsor transport, external restoration and care for a period during which this locomotive would represent the railways of Britain within this international collection. Ownership would remain with the current owners – unless someone is willing to sell; even a Barry-type hulk could be externally restored.” ●● Interested parties are invited to contact Marcus Hehl via markus.hehl@ bahnpark-augsburg.eu