Newly restored GWR 6989 'Wightwick Hall' departs Shackerstone with the 1S01 0900 Shackerstone - Shenton during the Battlefield Line’s 50th Anniversary Steam Gala, celebrating 50 years of the Shackerstone Railway Society, who formed The Battlefield Line.
GWR 6989 'Wightwick Hall' was built at Swindon and in March 1948 entered service with British Railways Western Region based at Hereford. 'Wightwick Hall' covered 640,645 miles in 16 years of service, operating in an area mainly bounded by Cardiff, Paignton, Banbury and London, working in the fast freight and express passenger role.
GWR 6989 was condemned on 1st June 1964 and sold to Woodham Brothers Scrap Yard in Barry South Wales on 17th July 1964. Wightwick Hall arrived at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre on 9th January 1978. The restoration of GWR 6989 has taken almost 42 years. GWR 6989 made preservation history when it became the 150th ex- Barry loco to steam when it moved under its own power on 11th December 2018. The loco performed its first passenger service since 1964 on 2nd March 2019 and was launched to the public on 3rd March 2019.
