4920 Dumbleton Hall going to Japan?

[John Luxton]

Has anyone heard anything about Dumbleton Hall being exported to Japan for a Harry Potter Theme Park?

Someone told me she was sat at Southampton Docks awaiting export.

 

[Worf]

AFAIK owned by Smith at Carnforth, so nothing would surprise me.

 

[Cowley]

Has anyone heard anything about Dumbleton Hall being exported to Japan for a Harry Potter Theme Park?

Someone told me she was sat at Southampton Docks awaiting export.

I’ve seen this mentioned in a couple of places too, but nothing firm enough to post yet unfortunately.

 

[eldomtom2]

A proper steam loco would seem rather a large expense for a theme park when fibreglass replicas have served the other Potter theme parks well...

(Yes I know 4972’s at Leavesden, but that’s there because it’s a museum of Potter film props.)

 

[The_Van]

Has anyone heard anything about Dumbleton Hall being exported to Japan for a Harry Potter Theme Park?

Someone told me she was sat at Southampton Docks awaiting export.

Surely it would have been spotted en route to Southampton or would it be in a container?

 

[John Luxton]

Surely it would have been spotted en route to Southampton or would it be in a container?

I only picked the info up from a contact elsewhere yesterday - not sure where he got it from, but knew I had commented when posting photos of it in almost Barry Condition at Buckfastleigh a while back.

 

[37114]

Same has been reported on the WNXX subscription news site.

 

[bishdunster]

Surely it would have been spotted en route to Southampton or would it be in a container?

Bloody big container, unless it was in kit form !

 

[Cowley]

Bloody big container, unless it was in kit form !

Which I don’t think it was.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Rail Advent are saying, under this title:

New Year, New Home for steam locomotive 4920 Dumbleton Hall​

The South Devon Railway Trust, along with The Dumbleton Hall Preservation Society, has announced that they have agreed with a third-party over the sale of GWR ‘Hall’ steam locomotive No 4920 Dumbleton Hall.

4920 was originally purchased for preservation from Woodham Bros in Barry for use on the Paignton to Dartmouth Line.

It is expected that 4920 Dumbleton Hall will move to its new home in the new year.

Do we know the new owners of 4920? Unfortunately, no. The buyer wanted to remain unnamed and the fee for the locomotive is also remaining undisclosed.

However! This is excellent news for fans of 4920 Dumbleton Hall and we hope to see her in steam in the next few years.

DHPS chairman, Richard Elliott, commented: “After we received an offer to buy former GWR loco No. 4920 Dumbleton Hall, the South Devon Railway Trust and Dumbleton Hall Preservation Society decided to take it up.

“Dumbleton Hall last ran in 1999 and is now in need of a heavy overhaul. It is a long way down the restoration queue at Buckfastleigh and also would never be used regularly on the line because it’s too big as a Red route, Class 5 machine.

“The SDRT and DHPS have agreed to accept the sale offer from an unnamed third party buyer for an undisclosed sum. It’s a good deal for us and the engine will now hopefully run again in the not too distant future.”

Chairman, Jon Morton, said: “This is good news, both for the loco and for the SDR. As Robin Jones, the editor of Heritage Railway, accurately said, ‘the SDR is the quintessential GWR branch line’. That means branch line trains and branch line locos, so a Hall is not really the best kind of loco for us. With a new owner, we can all look forward to seeing this loco returned to steam and working again, which is what we all want. With the cost and limited running opportunities, returning 4920 to steam at Buckfastleigh with so many other priorities was simply not an immediate option.”

In the comments part of the article, someone says that David Smith is the new owner, although some doubt is cast on this in other comments. A question is also asked whether it's true that it's going to Japan to stay, but no-one has answered this.

There's quite a bit of correspondence on the National Preservation Forum, but no-one seems to be able to say for definite who owns the loco and what's happening to it.

 

[Worf]

The Rail Advent News is 12 months old. Loco was moved to Carnforth.

See https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/dumbleton-hall-gwr-4900-class-steam-locomotive.214765/

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Ah, I didn't spot that .... thanks!

 

[alexl92]

I’m sure she was only being moved to Carnforth last week? Or am I mixed up?

 

[SeaKing]

Left Buckfastleigh end of February.

 

[38Cto15E]

We are a forum of 'Spotters' , someone must have spotted Dumbleton somewhere recently.
If it does move to a Harry Potter theme park in Japan, do not be surprised if it is renamed Dumbledore Hall.

 

[Monty]

If the SDRT and DHPS issued a press release under the pretence that the sale would mean the loco would return to steam in the near future I wonder how it might go down if the loco is being exported for static display in a theme park..

 

[Harvester]

According to this month’s edition of Railway Magazine, 4920 has been exported to Japan. It arrived at Southampton during the week before Christmas by road, as mentioned up thread. It is now understood to be owned by Warner Bros.

 

[John Luxton]

According to this month’s edition of Railway Magazine, 4920 has been exported to Japan. It arrived at Southampton during the week before Christmas by road, as mentioned up thread. It is now understood to be owned by Warner Bros.

Thanks for the update on this

 

[alexl92]

So it’ll become a replica of Hogwarts Castle then. I don’t even really like GWR engines but I’m gutted, that’ll be an expensive repatriation campaign for a group in the future then.

And as stated above, the press release about the sale did seem to imply it would be returned to steam… hmmm

 

[Harvester]

So it’ll become a replica of Hogwarts Castle then. I don’t even really like GWR engines but I’m gutted, that’ll be an expensive repatriation campaign for a group in the future then.

And as stated above, the press release about the sale did seem to imply it would be returned to steam… hmmm

Yes on static display, no doubt masquerading as Hogwarts Castle, at the new Warner Bros Studio Tokyo.

 

[DanNCL]

Is it really a big issue that this loco has been exported to Japan? There are other surviving members of its class in the UK, so it’s not as if it were the last example of a class being exported.

It‘s worth remembering that we do have a Japanese train on display in the UK too. We don’t hear people from Japan calling for the NRM’s Shinkansen carriage to be repatriated back to Japan, so why should there be any talk of bringing this loco back from Japan in the future?

 

[Gloster]

I have no problems about the loco going to Japan. My one concern is that at some time in the future, due to a fall in business or a change in direction, the loco will become surplus to requirements and be unceremoniously disposed of.

 

[DanNCL]

I have no problems about the loco going to Japan. My one concern is that at some time in the future, due to a fall in business or a change in direction, the loco will become surplus to requirements and be unceremoniously disposed of.

It is a risk, but equally that could have happened in the UK too.

I’m actually not that concerned about what would happen to it should it become surplus at the theme park it’s destined for because of where it is. Japan has a number of railway museums and being able to acquire something that many would associate with something like Harry Potter could be a success for them, much like having a “bullet train” is a success for the NRM in York. I’m relatively confident it’s future is safe in Japan. If it had been heading somewhere like China instead then I’d have been concerned about the long term future of it, but I don’t think there’s any need to worry about it in Japan.

 

[eldomtom2]

It is a risk, but equally that could have happened in the UK too.

I’m actually not that concerned about what would happen to it should it become surplus at the theme park it’s destined for because of where it is. Japan has a number of railway museums and being able to acquire something that many would associate with something like Harry Potter could be a success for them, much like having a “bullet train” is a success for the NRM in York. I’m relatively confident it’s future is safe in Japan. If it had been heading somewhere like China instead then I’d have been concerned about the long term future of it, but I don’t think there’s any need to worry about it in Japan.

5972 is still owned by WCR, not WB, and while the Shinkansen will always be important to worldwide rail history, 4920 has no especial relevance beyond masquerading as a film prop.

 

[DanNCL]

5972 is still owned by WCR, not WB, and while the Shinkansen will always be important to worldwide rail history, 4920 has no especial relevance beyond masquerading as a film prop.

Non-enthusiasts won’t see it that way, they’ll see it as something out of Harry Potter. Beyond rail enthusiasts most people won’t be too fussed about the locos history and will be more interested in stuff they recognise, which they will for something marked up as the Hogwarts Express.

Mind if it’s still owned by West Coast and is only with Warner Bros on loan then it’s likely a reasonable assumption to assume it would return to Carnforth should Warner Bros no longer want it.

 

[John Luxton]

Is it really a big issue that this loco has been exported to Japan? There are other surviving members of its class in the UK, so it’s not as if it were the last example of a class being exported.

It‘s worth remembering that we do have a Japanese train on display in the UK too. We don’t hear people from Japan calling for the NRM’s Shinkansen carriage to be repatriated back to Japan, so why should there be any talk of bringing this loco back from Japan in the future?

You make a very good point.

I visited the NRM for the first time in around 30 years in November, ended up going twice and it was certainly interesting to go on board the Shinkansen.

My view is that there is no harm in countries sharing their railway heritage especially with other countries where railway heritage / enthusiasm is a significant interest and hobby and as far as I understand Japan ticks the boxes.

After a couple of fairly recent visits to the SDR it was clear that Dumbleton Hall was just weathering back into Barry condition in full view of the general public.

I do wonder which party has come out better from this deal the WCR or SDR?

Did WCR see an opportunity before they bought it or could the SDR have raised more funds if they could have sold leased it to the theme park?

 

[Bessie]

It hadn't be in steam since 1999 so this is the best outcome. I visited the SDR at the weekend for their winter steam gala and enjoyed riding the line on the auto-coach behind 6430. It's a great line but a Hall class loco is far too big for it.

 

[MarkyT]

It hadn't be in steam since 1999 so this is the best outcome. I visited the SDR at the weekend for their winter steam gala and enjoyed riding the line on the auto-coach behind 6430. It's a great line but a Hall class loco is far too big for it.

That's my perspective too. The group who bought the loco from Barry originally had use on the much better suited Paignton-Kingswear line in mind, something it did for a while after restoration. The two railways, previously under the same ownership, divorced, however, and by then the Paignton railway already had sufficient traction for their needs. Thus once the locomotive's boiler certificate ran out it became stranded at Buckfastleigh with the Dumbleton Hall Preservation Society (DHPS) unable to finance an overhaul and the SDR also unwilling to bankroll the work as it wasn't a practical engine for regular work at the line. Back in the 1990s, I belonged to the DHPS. Not for the loco particularly, but it was a cut-price way of getting the same membership benefits as the South Devon Railway Association (SDRA), and to be able to carry out voluntary work on the railway. My more recent return to volunteering there has been under SDRA membership however, although my Dad retains DHPS allegiance, and he's a bit miffed the leadership didn't ask the general members before agreeing to sell!

 

[bleeder4]

The coverage of this is in the latest Steam Railway magazine.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

that’ll be an expensive repatriation campaign for a group in the future then.

How long before someone gets the crayons to start planning for it to feature in a plandampf event over the Shinkansen network?

There are other surviving members of its class in the UK, so it’s not as if it were the last example of a class being exported.

If it was, would the export deferral scheme be applicable to a steam loco? Coincidentally this was the subject of a review about a year ago https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...-save-important-cultural-items-for-the-public