GWR Route: The North Warwickshire Line

GWR Route: Stratford on Avon to Hatton

Stratford on Avon Station: gwrsa1490

GWR 0-4-2T 14xx class No 4801 is seen operating as an auto service and about to pass under Alcester Road bridge to take forward the return 11:23 service to Alcester station circa 1937. The locomotive was in fact the Alcester branch engine being allocated to Alcester shed between July 1936 and January 1938. After reopening in 1922-3, the branch line from Bearley to Alcester was operated by autotrains such as that seen above. One morning service was diverted to Wilmecote to connect with services proceeding on to Stratford upon Avon. By 1925 this service was supplemented by a Saturdays Only (S.O.) afternoon service to Stratford upon Avon followed in 1928 by another S.O. service in the evening. By 1930 the morning service to Wilmecote had been extended to Stratford upon Avon. Built at Swindon works in August 1932 No 4801 was to remain in service until November 1958 when it was withdrawn from 85B Horton Road shed in Gloucester before being scrapped in November 1959 by TW Ward of Briton Ferry. Prior to being scrapped No 4801 was used in film The Titfield Thunderbolt an Ealing Comedy which foretold the fight to save lines from cuts and the establishment of standard gauge lines railway preservation.

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