Hogwarts Express at Loughborough Central


Recommended Posts

Is it just me. I remember going round the shed at Loughborough Central about 20 years ago and seeing the original 'Hogwarts Express' locomotive earmarked and painted up for the film Harry Potter, which was in fact a SR rebuilt West Country Pacific 34027, Taw Valley, painted crimson with a green 'Hogwarts Express' nameplate. I recall filming it on video, which I can't access anymore because my camera in that format died long ago. I've looked it up and according to info I've found, the original director, the dreadful Christopher Cross, who perpetrated the embarrassingly unfunny 'Home Alone' on us, thought the loco looked too modern and rejected it, despite it being J.K. Rowlings first thoughts for the particular loco that she envisaged for 'Hogwarts Castle'. Did anybody else have the good luck to see it and how long did it hang around in that guise on the GCR, was it ever used for service trains.

I recall going round the Centenary Exhibition at York a few years ago and coming across 'Olton Hall' in it's 'Hogwarts Castle' guise, it was in steam and we had the opportunity to go in the cab, which I did, my brothers young nephew, however, having seen the films, was so terrified of it that he wouldn't go anywhere near the loco, the power of the film media eh!

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I think you're correct about Taw Valley. This is a quote from the site below:

'The first ‘real’ Hogwarts Express was created to promote the Harry Potter books in the UK in the early 2000s, when a railtour was organised, working its way round the country behind Southern Railway West Country class light pacific locomotive, “Taw Valley”. The locomotive was repainted scarlet for its role, with a new nameplate carrying its “Hogwarts Express” title...For the Harry Potter films, director Chris Columbus apparently thought that Taw Valley didn’t have quite the look he was after, and he eventually settled on Great Western Railway locomotive Olton Hall as having a suitable appearance. Such a locomotive would never have run from London to Scotland, and certainly wasn’t built at Crewe, so thank goodness magic can explain away any such inconsistencies.'

https://thebeautyoftransport.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/the-many-lives-of-the-hogwarts-express-transport-from-the-world-of-harry-potter/

There's a picture of Taw Valley here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60854097@N06/6652511821/

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for that info MI, what is amusing is that I never realised that Hogwarts Castle had a 10A shedplate. Looking it up in my old 1956 shedbook it came up as Springs Branch Wigan, I recall going round that shed in about 1963 when it had the last remaining elderly L & Y 0-6-0 freight loco's based there. What I'd forgotten is that the number was transferred to Carnforth when Springs Branch closed, Carnforth was my happy hunting ground during the last days of steam, I should have remembered that and of course Olton Castle is theoretically based there along with many others along with the WCML steam hauled stock which was used in the films. I have some lovely Kodachrome slides of that place I took in the late 60's along with others when it became Steamtown after the official demise of BR steam. Unfortunately I gather that the shed building is in a terrible state and visitors can only go round by appointment these days, I wonder how long the unique coaling tower will last before it topples over or is condemned as being structurally unsafe and demolished, how the hell do you economically repair a structure like that.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Its Some years since I last visited Universal Studios Florida, and rode the excellent Harry Potter Ride.

I did have my picture taken with the Hogwarts Express, but dont know if it is the original. Some here may?

Hogwarts Express To Join Universal Studios

800px-HogwartsExpressUniversalStudios.jp

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's a bloody good copy Mick, but not the real thing, it lacks the 10A shedplate for a start and why did you cut yourself out the picture, can we see the unabridged version please!!

Bubblewrap, stop whingeing, it's a film, the massive world audience haven't a clue that a GWR Hall should be in green, that's the way it is. Perhaps a Jubilee should have been more appropriate, thinking about it, possibly so, but my avid Harry Potter enthusiast friends don't give a damn about the colour, including me.

Don't forget that in the early BR days, many Halls were painted black with red nameplates.

Link to post
Share on other sites

According to the Wikipedia entry:

'Two full-size replicas of the locomotive are at the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando One of these is used as part of the Hogwarts Express train ride and the other is on display in Hogsmeade'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_4900_Class_5972_Olton_Hall

I'm not sure if Olton Hall (which is how I prefer to think of it) is currently at Shildon or Carnforth.

Link to post
Share on other sites

One of 5972 Olton Hall's construction line pals, 5975 taken at Teignmouth sea wall when I was on holiday in 1963, I presume it was Brunswick Green, no doubt the 'Warship' was:-

scan0008-1.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...