Farewell Foremarke Hall: A Western Region stalwart

7903 'Foremarke Hall' stands at Winchcombe - 4th April 2023

 

The expression 'all good things must come to an end' comes to mind as I write this piece on the subject of our trusty Western Region stalwart 7903 'Foremarke Hall' - A locomotive that has been in active service at the railway since returning from its previous heavy general overhaul back in 2016. Those of you who follow our social media channels will know that, sadly, the 4-6-0 was stood down from traffic shortly before the start of the all important run up to Christmas.

 

Like our other locomotives, 7903 has proven to be a reliable machine over the years, covering well in excess of 60,000 miles in preservation - I must try and find out the current mileage from John. This is a testament to the small band of dedicated volunteers and the wider steam department, who have maintained and tinkered with the engine on a regular basis (this is usually on Wednesdays). I have spent many hours over the past five years helping to either clean, dispose of, or prepare 7903 for operational service. Disposal can be particularly labour intensive, certainly if a thick layer of ash and clinker needs clearing from the firebox grate, and it most definitely gives you a work out. On many occasions it has simply been easier to climb into the box, lift some fire bars, and clear the grate by hand with some strong brushes. I find 'colourful language' helps with the process, and the addition of some sort of drop section or rocking grate would make disposal somewhat better. I think I should put this in the 'suggestions for improvement' box - hint, hint, wink, wink ;)

 

4079 & 7903 (as 6999) on shed at Toddington - 9th May 2023

 

The early withdrawal of 7903 from service last November, following a boiler inspection, came as quite a blow to the department. It had been hoped that the ‘Hall’ would see us through until the end of the 2025 operating season in early January. Despite options for remedial work being explored, these proved impractical due to the limited time, costs, and the lack of available inspectors at the time. Fear not, though, as John Cruxon and the ‘Wednesday Gang’ are already hard at work at returning the mighty 'Modified Hall' to duty. 7903 out of action left us in quite a tricky predicament for the Winter and particularly with our ‘Santa Specials’ on the horizon, but thankfully, due to the incredible efforts of Mike Solloway and others, we were able to secure 4079 'Pendennis Castle' at very short notice to cover the traction shortfall.

 

7903 'Foremarke Hall' warming up on shed at Toddington - 10th October 2025

 

4079 last visited us back in 2023 for the Cotswold Festival of Steam, and the availability of the ‘Castle’ was thanks to the fantastic support of our friends at Railway Support Services, the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, and the Great Western Society at Didcot Railway Centre. The return of 4079 meant that we were able to complete the Christmas & New Year period without any major problems, and the end of the year was yet another superb success for the railway with very well patronised trains. With 2807 away at the South Devon Railway, services were shared between 3850, 4079 & 6880. Even though the temperatures seemed arctic at times, photographers and visitors turned up to enjoy the railway in significant numbers. Seeing young families coming along to visit Santa always lifts everyone’s spirits and I'm not sure many mince pies were left. I can confirm that the stash in my cupboard is, unfortunately, not what it once was. Oh dear!

 

John Cruxon with 7903 & 35006 at Toddington - 11th March 2025 - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett

 

Time for some brief history on 7903 up until 2019, based on information from 'The Foremarke Hall Group' website:

 

Unmistakably a product of Great Western Railway design, No. 7903 Foremarke Hall belonged to the 79XX series, the final group of Modified Hall class locomotives constructed at Swindon in 1949 under British Railways management. These engines earned the nickname “Greyhounds” from footplate crews, who found them noticeably livelier than earlier members of the class. In 1951, Foremarke Hall gained particular recognition when it stood in for a Castle class locomotive on the Plymouth–Paddington boat train, becoming the first engine to complete the journey in under four hours.

For much of its operational career, 7903 was allocated to Old Oak Common shed in London. Its last posting was Cardiff East Dock, where it remained from October 1963 until withdrawal from service in June 1964. The locomotive was then sold to Woodham Brothers at Barry in South Wales, where it remained for many years before being rescued in June 1981 by a group of preservationists, leaving the yard as the 129th locomotive to do so.

7903 waits at Gotherington - November 2024 - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett

Following its purchase, 7903 was moved to the Blunsdon site of the Swindon and Cricklade Railway for restoration, with a notable stop en route at Swindon Works to appear at a public open day. Restoration costs were met through the sale of ownership shares managed by the Foremarke Hall Transport Group. Much of the dismantling and rebuilding work was carried out by volunteers, often in the open air, until progress accelerated significantly after the locomotive was accommodated in the newly constructed engine shed at Hayes Knoll. Despite a demanding timetable, Foremarke Hall returned to steam and made its first public appearance on 20 September 2003 during the Swindon and Cricklade Railway’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

The locomotive takes its name from Foremarke Hall in Derbyshire, now a preparatory school associated with Repton College. A pleasing coincidence is that the Southern Railway "V Class" (better known as "Schools" Class) 4-4-0 locomotive No 926 'Repton' has also survived which is owned and based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). This raises the appealing prospect of both engines being seen in steam together one day. 926 visited us back in 2003.

GWR 7903 Foremarke Hall & 6880 Betton Grange at the Cotswold Festival of Steam 2025 - Video © RTP Media

After restoration was complete, the Swindon and Cricklade Railway’s limited track length made it necessary to find a new base better suited to such a large engine. Following careful evaluation, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway was chosen, and 7903 relocated there in May 2004. Operating from Toddington, the locomotive proved popular and dependable throughout its ten-year boiler certificate, and also appeared as a guest engine on both the Severn Valley and Llangollen railways.

The partnership with the GWSR has continued to be highly successful. When the boiler certificate expired, the owning group, supported by railway volunteers, completed the necessary work to return 7903 to service in time for the 2016 season. Since then, Foremarke Hall has taken part in a number of significant events, including hauling the first passenger train over the new Broadway extension and making a memorable return to Old Oak Common for the final open day held there in September 2017, particularly fitting given that 81A was its principal depot during BR service.

View towards Great Western Railway locomotives No. 6023 King Edward II and No. 7903 Foremarke Hall during the Old Oak Common open day. © Copyright Gareth James and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

In addition, the locomotive was invited by the Great Western Society at Didcot to take part in the launch of new-build Saint class No. 2999 Lady of Legend. Together, the two engines represented the earliest and most developed forms of Great Western 4-6-0 mixed-traffic locomotive design.

 

The BR Database entry for 7903 can be found here.

 

Further information about 7903 along with additional photographs can be found here: https://7903foremarkehall.co.uk/ 

 

4079 Pendennis Castle & 6880 Betton Grange on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway - 2025 - Video ©  Steam to the West - Trecanrail 

 

On that note, it's time to bring things a little more up-to-date and we wish John and the team all the best with the work.

 

As the light fades on 2025, 4079 Pendennis Castle works its way in the golden glint near Bishop's Cleeve - 31st December 2025 - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett

 

Well, 2026 is here, and soon enough we'll be chuffing our way down to Cheltenham Racecourse once again with the wonderful sights, sounds, and smells of steam! In a change to previous years, our operating season this year commences on Saturday, 14th February, which means a slightly earlier start for the department from our traditional March slot. I’m struggling to think of a better way to spend Valentine's Day than with the ‘Romance of Steam’ in beautiful Cotswold countryside. OK, obviously, I am ever so slightly biased, but there’s little more alluring than a steam locomotive, either stationary or gracefully steaming along the line at a rather pleasant 25mph.

 

4079 Pendennis Castle at the helm on another crisp morning - 3rd January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett

 

New Year’s Day proved to be exceptionally popular once again, particularly because Cheltenham Racecourse hosted its ‘New Year’s Day Racing’. The racegoers turned up in their droves, and scenes at Winchcombe were reminiscent of one of our galas, certainly as far as passenger loadings were concerned. 4079 & 6880 did the honours for the day with both locomotives performing well and going down an absolute treat (mind you, a steam train along with the odd beverage or three… tends to put a smile on your face!). We normally operate our trains with seven coaches for the most part; however, judging by the volume of visitors, this may well need to be strengthened to eight for next year’s event.

4079 heads away from Greet Tunnel - 4th January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Alex Caulfield

I happened to be working on the ‘big railway’ at Worcester Shrub Hill on the day in question, and virtually all the tickets I sold were for the races. My morning proved to be rather eventful, given that there were signalling issues at Cheltenham of all places. You really couldn’t make it up! I had a full platform of racegoers all trying to cram aboard a 2-car Class 158 DMU, which was rather entertaining. If ever there was a case for reinstating the rail connection between Broadway and Honeybourne, then this would be added to the list of reasons in my view. Talk of expanding our railway always brings in heated debate and interesting viewpoints both for and against, costs of any work notwithstanding. On a more serious note, an extension of the DP shed at Toddington is a more pressing concern at present; we really need more room. 

4079 Pendennis Castle - 3rd January 2026 - Video courtesy of Jack Boskett

We certainly ended the 2025 season in style and with a bang (don’t worry, I don’t mean the latter in the literal sense!) as the first weekend in January was another glorious crisp affair. The sub-zero temperatures did not deter the punters, because they had a real treat in the form of three locomotives in service - 3850, 4079 & 6880 all operating trains, with the cherry on top being 4079 & 6880 double heading. Some of the photographs and videos that appeared on social media from the day were worthy of both magazines and the big screen. Can anyone think of a better way to kick off the New Year than this? I know I can’t, that’s for sure. Seeing the happy faces of both the volunteers and the public makes it all so rewarding and worthwhile. Planning for CFoS in May 2026 is now well underway, so watch this space for details soon.

 

3850 looking very smart prior the last day of the season, thanks to the efforts of Paul and Bryony - 3rd January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Mike Solloway 

6880 & 4079 power away from Cheltenham Racecourse - 4th January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Jonathan Windscheffel

In terms of volunteer recruitment, I’m pleased to report that several new department members joined during 2025. It’s always good to welcome new people to the railway, and their help and assistance are always appreciated. Judging by the number of relatively new names on the departmental roster, interest in railways has never been stronger. Volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, different skill areas, offer new ideas and in many cases, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from industry. From a heritage point of view, this is truly invaluable. Without the dedication and commitment of volunteers, we simply wouldn’t be able to function, either as a locomotive department or as a heritage attraction in a very challenging climate. Time marches on for us all, and thus more 'hands on deck' are always needed.

 

3850 leading the charge - 4th January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Alex Caulfield 

 

At the time of writing, we have three serviceable locomotives on the roster for 2026, in the form of 2807, 3850 & 6880 ‘Betton Grange’. To say that this is going to be a challenging year operationally for the department would be a bit of an understatement, but thanks to the tremendous efforts of many at Toddington and the wider railway, we always manage to find a way to ‘make it happen’ one way or another. As many readers will be aware, the reduction in traction is due to three engines now undergoing their heavy general overhauls. The locomotives in question, of course, are 35006, 7820 and not forgetting the important title subject of this blog, 7903. This has meant that the available space in the David Page shed is now at a premium, and over the next few years, resources and volunteers are certainly going to be pushed hard. The tasks before us are significant, but that is part and parcel of running a very successful and popular heritage railway.

 

GWR at the double - 4th January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Alex Caulfield 

 

4079 taking on water at Toddington - 4th January 2026 - Photo courtesy of Alex Caulfield   

 

For those of you who use Facebook, here are a number of GWSR related groups which are worth following:

 

DMLL - Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd

CSPL - Cotswold Steam Preservation Limited (CSPL) 

2874 - The 2874 Trust

35006 - 35006 Group

76077 - Standard Locomotive 76077

CWR - Cotswold Wagon Restorations

CFOS - GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam Gala Page

THL - The Honeybourne Line - a GWR mainline in the making 

 

Anyway, until next time folks, I'd better go and double check the heating. It is currently -5 outside, and I don’t have a hot and toasty locomotive firebox to hand right now. I really must try to rectify that. A very Happy New Year to one and all.

 

Before you know it, it'll be time to put 7903 through a steam test once again, and won't that be a sight to behold.

 

7903 'Foremarke Hall' at Toddington with another Footplate Experience - 28th June 2024

 

Alex (the sooty one!). 

 

All published photographs and videos are my own unless otherwise stated/credited.