GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Leamington Spa - GWR Locomotives: gwrls900

GWR 4-6-0 Hall class No 5959 'Mawley Hall' is seen with 'A' lamps on indicating its working a train of empty SR stock held on the passing loop behind the station. John Copsey states in 'GWRJ No 57 that Southern stock utilised for summer Saturday divisions or extras was not often loaded in both directions - running empty to the Midlands on Fridays for working Saturday southbound services, and later on Saturday or Sunday for return stock of northbound Saturday trains. Number 5959 was built at Swindon works in January 1936, just a few months before the photograph was taken, and remained in service until September 1962 when it was withdrawn from Tyseley shed although it escaped the cutters torch until November 1963 when it was scrapped by J Cashmore of Great Bridge.

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