GWR Mixed Traffic

The typical mixed traffic 4-6 0 as designed by Stanier for the L.M.S. Railway can be seen here. In Britain, all four post-grouping companies possessed similar machines, suitable for passenger or freight work and all virtually alike in major dimensions.

Thus the L.N.E.R. had built ' Bl ' 4-6-0s in vast numbers, the Southern relied on Maunsell's ' S15s,' and on the Great Western Collett's ' Hall' class engines were as much at home on express passenger turns as on local freights.

Based on Churchward's 'Saint' 4-6-0s, one of which was rebuilt by Collett with 6-ft wheels, the first 'Hall' appeared in 1928. Almost identical with the 'Saints,' No. 4901 had two 18in x 30in cylinders, 6-ft. driving wheels and a large cab similar to that on the ' Castle ' class.

Intended as a general utility 4-6-0 to replace the 'Saints' and also the many G.W.R. 4-4-0 types, the ' Halls ' were built in large numbers until a total of 259 were in use. After the war Collett's successor F. W. Hawks-worth built a further seventy-one engines with larger superheaters and one-piece main frames.

All were named after ancestral halls in England and Wales and were used on a wide variety of trains, such as the through Paignton-Manchester express here seen leaving Torquay behind 'Wycliffe Hall.'

A few remained in service until the late 1960's and were among the last Western Region passenger steam engines to be withdrawn.