Why are there 2 REAL and 4 FAKE Hogwarts Expresses?

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We reveal why there are so many Hogwarts Castles and clear the rumours about the mysterious steam loco that never got to return to the rails. I'm no Harry Potter fan, but I do appreciate how they chose a real engine to use in the movies, even if it makes little sense. Learn about the complete history of Olton Hall and its imitators as a Halloween special.
#guiderail #hogwartscastle

[@SodorTrain1225]

Poor Dumbleton Hall... I wonder if she'll ever return to her home in the UK.

[@jameshardy4354]

Not west coast railways finest hour

[@tardisoftim]

If Pendennis Castle can not only return home but also return to steam, there's hope yet.

[@TheRubberDuck]

@@tardisoftim Don't forget on the other side of the coin there's A4's abroad and some 0-6-0 Austerities in Austria

[@tardisoftim]

@@TheRubberDuck Dwight D Eisenhower came back to the UK for the big reunion of the A4s some years ago. As for the Austerities I think there's just so many of them preserved that no one minds a few being spread out. The same can be said of some LMS 8f locomotives, several were exported in WW2 and still exist overseas.

[@Arlesburghstudios]

@@TheRubberDuckand if I remember correctly Waddon at the same museum as Dominion of Canada too

[@Lamp_2155]

Personally I think there wasn’t a need to dress up a hall just to send it to another country if there’s no intention of running it ever again. An engine shunted at the back of a shed for all eternity with its own history and story matters more to me. It’s security is only dependent on the popularity of Harry Potter as well. Olton Hall could be reverted back to a “real engine” at any time.

[@thisd51isfine38]

I can imagine one of the prior locomotives from Britisher's soil seeing another kind be shafted into Japan,

[@toomanyinterestslol]

​@@thisd51isfine38🤓

[@pannierfan6412]

It really annoys me aswell. 4920s the oldest surviving hall, maybe if they acted sooner, they could have had 7927

[@sirrliv]

In an extremely technical sense, there's actually 3 real Hogwarts Castles. In the second film, Chamber of Secrets, when Harry and Ron are flying the Ford Anglia to school after missing the train, they dive down to try and find the train only to have it show up right behind them. It's an almost blink and you'll miss it detail, but notice in the shot through the car's rear window that the smokebox design is different and the chimney lacks the distinctive GWR copper cap. That's actually LNER K1 62005 "Lord of the Isles", a regular on the Jacobite steam excursions on the Fort William to Mallaig Line where that scene was shot. Evidently the crew forgot to get that particular shot when filming Olton Hall on Glenfinnan Viaduct and so had to call his Lordship to substitute at the last minute.

[@Yorkshire_trainspotter]

Oh no, they better not try take lord of the isles to turn Into a castle as well.

[@JRS06]

I've seen the film a million times and I've only just noticed this! I like that they digitally threw a headboard and number plate on the smokebox to pass it off as Olton Hall.

[@sirrliv]

@@JRS06 I don't think those were digital. I think they literally just swapped the 5972 number plate on for that shot and put the Hogwarts Express headboard on the top lamp bracket. If they were still at the railway at the time they probably still had the props, so it would have been just a matter of minutes with a spanner to put them on.

[@magicguystudios7940]

My life is a lie…

[@numptypootis8012]

Personally, 'Dumbledore' Hall living in Japan is a good thing, it means people who can't come to the UK can have an example of a real English steam loco a bit more closer to home even if it isn't properly running. It keeps the loco more active than sitting in a siding doing nothing. And personally we didn't lose much personally, we got plenty of other GWR 4-6-0s still in steam 😂

[@kupferbergbahn7952]

Yeah, at least it's getting enjoyed by people once again. I'm only concerned with what'll happen to it once Harry Potter isn't a big thing anymore. The Japanese may just scrap it if the owners have no interest in bringing it back to the UK.

[@class37thrash]

@@kupferbergbahn7952 hopefully not. It could just be displayed in a Japanese Rail Museum, as per the two A4's in the US and Canada. Best case, it gets repatriated to the UK in that scenario. Although that's my opinion on the latter.

[@pannierfan6412]

@@kupferbergbahn7952I sure hope it won’t be scrapped. She’s the oldest surviving hall, she’s history

[@yuko147]

Exactly what I'm planning to

[@joshslater2426]

Like the Railway Children Pannier, we must preserve Olton Hall in its fictional livery. I love the Hogwarts Express, but I do get annoyed when people liken every steam train in the world to it.

[@Shed87AProductions]

Its annoying when people go "omg look its a castle loco" just ticks me off

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

I’d love to see it in gwr green again

[@lapiswolf2780]

7:48 "My leg! 🦵" Did anyone else hear that? 😂

[@e2number1]

Excellent video Max! Whilst I agree with the sentiment from some people that Dumbleton Hall may never move again, at least she’s protected from the elements and being appreciated elsewhere. I’m sure people still miss her, but she was in a sorry state before she moved

[@TitanicTARDIS]

5:26 everything said about Taw Valley is correct, except for one detail. It was not painted red specifically to be used in the movie. It was painted red the year before, in 2000, as part of a promotional UK tour to promote the Goblet of Fire book release

[@WhisperingWiltshire]

7:50 ‘MY LEG!’ Funny Joke Since ‘Mallaig’ Is pronounced ‘my leg’ Amazing Video!

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

Well, how ELSE are you supposed to pronounce it?! Joking, i know it's probably 'Mah-l-lay-g' or smth lol

[@Mim69420]

‘Hogwarts express, the hall that thinks it’s a castle’

[@harrisonallen651]

Thomas and Scotty do have major competition for most of these imposter locomotives

[@tsuaririndoku]

Japan loves to make sure the props are being show accurate as much as possible. Even that means they have to buy something from other country. Thomas & Friends are very good proof of that. Tomy Thomas are more detailed than Mattel’s Thomas. They love to be as accurate as possible. So their decision of Hall Class to Japan is definitely they willing to do. And even without show accurate props, they try their best to make sure the spirits of the show exist. Like Thomas Tour.

[@MagiTailWelkin]

Poorly researched includes being built at Crew Works, ten years before Crew Works was working. The years stated would make the locomotive contemporary with Stephenson's Rocket and the Liverpool and Manchester Lion. And the LNER A3s and A4s only just managed to go nonstop from London to Edinburgh, dozens of miles south of the Scottish Highlands, because of water troughs and corridor tenders.

[@brenlc1412]

What kind of fool do you take me for? That’s the Hogwarts Express, That’s the Hogwarts Express, That’s the Hogwarts Express, That’s the Hogwarts Express, That’s the Hogwarts Express, THAT’S the Hogwarts Express?! I’M THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS! Are there any other Hogwarts Expresses I should know about?!

[@Corsair872]

Taw Valley painted red with Hogwarts Castle nameplates enters the yard

[@brenlc1412]

@@Corsair872 I’m out of here.

[@AureusYoutube]

As a Potterhead who only got into the series BECAUSE of trains, all i have to say is: Max, you are so right!

[@HappyJigg]

I think you may have missed the fake one in Hollywood. Either that, or you mistakenly said it was in Florida. I'm not 100% sure.

[@Corodius]

The one that used to be in the Australian Movieworld Exhibit is a Queensland C17 Class Locomotive, number 988, that was dressed up for the exhibit to masquerade as the Hogwarts Express. She has since been repainted to her original Livery and is on display in Rockhampton's Archer Park Railway Museum

[@Simon83O79]

So for quick counts of Hogwarts Express'. 2 real engines. 2 fake but moving ones. Then another 4 static front fakes. So a total of 8 hogwarts expresses lol

[@kingkoopa64]

Before people go rambling about "THEY WASTE A CASTLE CLASS ENGINE", remind there are still 14 castle classes left. Engines classes like lner a3, southern pacifc gs4, reading t1s would beg to have that amount of preserve engine classes.

[@MatecaCorp]

Great video! A slight correction is that there are five fakes; one static model at each of the three Universal Studios Hogsmeadeseses (Florida, Japan, and Hollywood) and two on the cable hauled system between the two Universal Orlando parks

[@lukeslocomotives]

Still a bit ticked off about Dumbleton... Hopefully she'll return one day, painted in a proper livery

[@matthewpowell2429]

I honestly wish Dumbleton Hall and Olton Hall would be restored to operation, return to the UK, and be returned to their original numbers, names, and liveries.

[@jameshardy1012]

Olton Hall is already in the UK

[@matthewpowell2429]

@@jameshardy1012 I know, I was trying to simply my response. Sorry.

[@pannierfan6412]

I couldn’t agree more. Dumbledore Hall (4920) (Pun Intended 😂) Should return back as she is actually a hall with a bit of interest, as she’s the oldest surviving one.

[@joshslater2426]

I’d be ok with Olton Hall steaming again, I’d much like to see it in the fictional red livery. Dumbleton Hall should probably return to the UK, and he swapped out with a hall with a less interesting history.

[@tjmfarming9584]

I got a feeling, that when the lease for olton hall expires, they’ll bring dumbleton hall back to the uk to take her place… doubt it, but one can dream

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video, wow! More than one Hogwarts express locomotive? Who would of thought it? I never knew about Taw valley getting painted into the Hogwarts express livery until reading about it in the event program for the recent Autumn steam gala at the Severn Valley Railway I went to for a birthday trip.

[@JaeV2000]

I had no problem with dumbarton hall going to Japan, it's been cosmetically restored and in a country that tends to look after stuff

[@evangaines2303]

Awesome video. But you know what Locomotive is more famous a movie star than Olton Hall, Sierra Railway #3.

[@bluecollarden]

I had a conversation with a buddy of mine regarding Stasburg Railroad's engines #89 and #31, which were Canadian engines, as I'm Canadian and my buddy is American. He asked if it would be better to have 89 and 31 in Canada or to stay on the USA on Strasburg. I responded if they were on static display, i would have preferred them back in Canada; however if they're being taken care of and being used for excursions, I'd rather they stay where they are and be appreciated. That's my take on any preserved engines that are out of country/region.

[@edwardstevens463]

It's funny how they used a Hall instead of a Castle a Britannia whistle and 06:32 what seems to be a Fowler 4F.

[@ToastTheThe]

Some new illustrated version of the first Harry Potter book kinddaaa keeps the 9F idea that they were originally gonna go with for the movie But its drawn without a tender lmao

[@mayyiuleung7023]

7:14 Olton hall the first red engine's 5 chime 7:14 Olton hall the first red engine's normal whistle

[@Shed87AProductions]

Lets not fail to mention the fact that Olton Hall carried her original shed plate of 10A, and the fact I was sold a castle model by Hornby is a disgrace. The hall needs to be running not sitting in a stationary spot. The mind a a Great Westerner (me) ^

[@sudrianrailwaystudios676]

That was a great video, Max.

[@Terrier55Stepney]

Thank you, I appreciate how much you comment on my videos.

[@sudrianrailwaystudios676]

@@Terrier55Stepney You're Welcome.

[@missmanxee]

Thanks for sharing this interesting video of my favorite movie steam engine I got to see this iconic engine twice first at York Railway Museum and when it was unveiled at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in 2015 👍❤️🧙‍♂️🚂

[@joshuaW5621]

I find it a bit strange that they used a Hall class instead of a Castle. It would have been fitting to call it Hogwarts Castle.

[@weloveteddy]

7:50 my leg

[@class37thrash]

I feel like 4920's current stint of life under the guise of 5972 is only really a short-term positive. It's being looked after under the pretense of it depicting a separate member of her class in Japan. What of her fate, should Harry Potter take a dip in popularity. The Japanese do have some of their rail heritage preserved in museums. But would they consider 4920 as a viable exhibit, or would it be repatriated? The uncertainty over it's long-term security is a bit of a cause for concern. But, that's just my view from a lack of clarity over the agreement for it's display. It could also be on lease like 5972. In which case, eventually repatriation might be a forgone conclusion. But again, without that information it is hard to say.

[@Hilux5972]

Taw valley was actually repainted for the book launch, not the movies.

[@Skyehye3113]

I am very lucky to have gone over that viaduct it was lovely

[@BarcroftLaboratories]

I beleive Taw Valley was actually painted as a promotional stunt for the book tour of Goblet of Fire it was only in that livery for about a year, I saw it at GCR Loughborough towards Christmas 2000. Please do the video explaining why the Hogwarts Express make no sense including (based on Pottermore) it being built at Crew works several years before Crew works actually opened (because JKR messed the dates up/didn't research it properly)

[@georgejonesthestarseeds77]

I learned about Olton Hall from a video by SilverBand when he did a Thomas and friends railtour video on Olton Hall, and I came to feel bad for Olton Hall the more I researched about it. This locomotive has been preserved for around 40 years, yet it has only been remembered as Hogwarts Castle for around 20 years, now how depressing is that? I can understand why the Castle Class would have potentially worked well if they had been fixed up in time, but I really think either an LMS Jubilee or even a Black Five class would have worked better as Hogwarts Castle, mainly because they did a lot of travelling to Scotland and back, honestly I have no idea why the movie makers didn't think about that. I really do hope this engine will run on dry rails again after the lease expires.

[@thoughtengine]

I've toured enough sheds to know that a loco up the back of a shed where no-one can see it which will never be restored because there are always 50 locos in the queue ahead of it and the place only gets around half a million in various incomes per year, is really not truly preserving - it's hoarding.

[@SB-tp3yw]

this makes me happy cause now I know I’ve seen the one real one 😊

[@historyotaku]

Small corrction but it's more like 14 Halls which remain in preservation. 4942 was rebuilt into a Saint and 7927 was broken up for spares.

[@JosephRailwayStudios2000]

Good to see you dude and fantastic video!

[@The-Signal-Man]

It kinda sucks that Dumbleton Hall is being used as a Hogwarts Express replica. At least with Dominion of Canada or Dwight D. Eisenhower who aren't in their original homes, they're still showing people their true history. Whereas with Dumbleton Hall, all it is now is that one train from that one movie about wizards

[@TheRubberDuck]

4920 was always too heavy for the SDR so the original plan that I heard from the owners of her was to restore her and to loan her out to the bigger railways which would generate more income for the SDR and the trust, what people don't like about this is No.4920 was sold under them without them knowing and when they did find out were told that it had been sold to another railway, when they found out it was going to be a fake everyone on the trust were not happy as they did have plans to restore her in the next 5-10 years being 4920 is the oldest Hall to suvive, not it's tarted up and most likly not going to see British rails for a long time (if all?)

[@andysnoopy9137]

I went to the Making of Harry Potter tour at Warner Brothers Studios this summer, and I have to say that it was the time of my life. And I actually got to see one of the Hogwart's Express'!

[@Foxttellio]

C17 Hogwarts Castle FTW

[@2428matt]

12:32 the representation though😂

[@MATT2productions]

12:26 i had a chance to see it and touch the buffer of it and a pic once with the conductor but it got lost to time.

[@daveshockwave8098]

Hey at least 4920 is actually being enjoyed by and is on static display for those who want to see it, instead of sitting in storage

[@Woofel9]

I belive the train at Warner Bros had its system made by a company called Dopelmayer

[@dominicbarden4436]

I've travelled behind Olton Hall in her Hogwarts Castle livery, at the Gloucestershire Wawrickshire Railway when she visited for their 'Festival of Steam' one year (2009 if I remember right. Black Prince and City of Truro were there too!), and saw her at the studio in Leavesden on a school trip there of all things. The 'Hall that thinks she's a Castle' thing will never not be funny to me. Could they have chosen a Castle? Well, Caerphilly was not in working order, being on display at STEAM, Pendennis had just come back from Australia, Earl of Mount Edgcumbe was under overhaul, Defiant was on static display and Thornbury was 'under restoration'. I don't know what state Clun Castle was in at the time but Earl Bathurst and Nunney Castle were in traffic at the time, perhaps? I was surprised about Dumbleton Hall being moved to Japan, but I guess that's better than just being sat in storage with next to no possibility of being returned to working order. (And love all the clips from the Severn Valley Railway (my local line)! And our Hall, 4930 'Hagley Hall' is now the oldest active Hall, which is nice.)

[@AnLMSengine]

There’s also a replica in universal Los Angeles USA

[@AinscoughProductions]

Wasn't expecting to see my (badly) photoshopped image at 3:38 & 4:50 🤣

[@Terrier55Stepney]

It was convincing enough to me! Apologies for not accurately crediting.

[@AinscoughProductions]

@Terrier55Stepney it's fine, it's a pretty old image anyway. I am curious where you found it though, I deleted my Deviantart account years ago which is were that photo had been uploaded

[@kineticrail]

The little bit of useless info i heard was that the sound dubs in the first couple of films was actually a recording of 323 Bluebell. On the dumbleton hall situation. There is plenty of other halls to enjoy and there was no plan for it to be overhauled so better its being cared for even if its in Japan than it stayed sitting outside rusting at Buckfastleigh if the situation ever changes its still own by the chap associated with west coast so it could return but i think harry potter is one of them books/films that will endure for years

[@LBSC70]

The only thing I have to say about the univesal hogwarts express is that they both need a wash down

[@Muzza4472]

The one in Australia was at Warner Brothers' Movie World on the Gold Coast. In reality it is a C17 No. 988 of Queensland Railways in disguise. It has now reverted to its old self.

[@themidlandconnection]

Now happily up in Rockhampton as part of the Archer Park station precinct

[@thoughtengine]

@@themidlandconnection I was wondering where that had gotten to. Before the movies it had been up in Cairns awaiting restoration for another failed attempt to put steam back on the KSR.

[@Braveplantt]

noooo poor old dumbleton hall in Japan Q_Q

[@thomasawl]

4:12 PFFT- THATS A TOP GEAR LEVEL SNEAKY JOKE

[@AlejandroFlores-Ibarra]

Chief Cuntstsble of Northern Wales

[@bethmotgomery2662]

Nice video. Thinking of cracking the code of the Thomas's of stratsberg?? 2 are real and the rest are weirdly fake. Care to explain?

[@octolinggirlandstevesweet351]

1:15 TSW4 new TSW5

[@LolLol-xy4rh]

Well I because I live down in Australia I would only have to go to Japan instead of all the way to the uk to see a GWR Hall

[@jd3124]

hey I went to unevrieal stuids and road the fake train

[@johnylitalo4163]

But why wasn't it called Hogwarts Hall?

[@patrickd.3681]

Probably because Hogwarts isn’t a Hall. It is a Castle.

[@johnylitalo4163]

@@patrickd.3681 Why didn't the filmmakers use the GWR Castle Class as Hogwarts Castle?

[@joshslater2426]

@patrickd.3681 As stated in the video the surviving Castle locomotives were either on static display or not in good enough condition to return to service.

[@thoughtengine]

@@johnylitalo4163 The director wanted a different look for it, among other considerations.

[@johnylitalo4163]

@@thoughtengine Chris Columbus wanted the Great Western Railway Hall Class no. 5972?

[@westernrailroadcompanyprod4449]

who else heard my leg

[@johnr4459]

warner couldve restored 7027 thornbury castle and then had a real one, and therefore wouldve saved a lot of crap thats gone on with it in recent times

[@mattevans4377]

No wonder no one can find where Hogwarts is. Why would anyone ever go from London to Yorkshire via Scotland?

[@tripwire3992]

Olton hall needs returning

[@iris55510]

Still cross about Dumbleton. Why did they sell her off to that?

[@jameshardy4354]

She could return to the UK and be restored witch is what I think will happen west coast will restore her and keep olton static

[@iris55510]

@@jameshardy4354 As long as they’re home!

[@jameshardy4354]

@@iris55510 we have to hope one day

[@OfficialTrainzGod]

haha 5972 go brrrr

[@metropod]

I have never understood this overt obsession some in the UK rail fan community seem to have with having every single one of these engines running and painted perfectly and, generally, having to stay in the UK. You’re gonna run out of places to put them eventually, let alone the costs… There are a total of 10 remaining Hall-class locomotives. Do you really NEED all of them? There’s still 9 in the UK. I get something you only have 1 or 2 of like, say, Flying Scotsman, only one of her make and model left. I guess what I find ironic is how desperate some people seem to be to horde all these engines, to the point of begging to be given back ones British Rail gave away as gifts, like for “Dwight D. Eisenhower” and “Dominion of Canada” to stay… when you still have Bitten, Union of South Africa, Sir Nigel Gresley and of course, Mallard, that you can go see whenever you want to. I also find it a tad hypocritical, given the issue with items from other countries in British museums. Like, for example, how you have an Apollo command module in London at the science museum. CSM 106, “Charlie Brown”, which orbited the moon on Apollo 10.

[@MichaelMcKinnon-jf1yy]

Well, I'm sure most of the ones that are fake are because railroads wanted to make money on the Harry Potter franchise, make sense now?

[@israathepbskidsfan961]

terrier55stepney the is goingto be another in abu dhabi yas island in spooky moth 2024

[@IsleofPigsStudios]

4:14 Me when The Angry Birds Movie 2 (I hate The Angry Birds Movie 2 so much I swear)

[@Undead66679]

No no no nope bring the hall back it dose not belong in a different county and how knows when it will come back I hope so like just make a copy of the Hogwarts Express not using a real one

[@Alextrains502]

Cool

[@Northwesternrailwaystudios]

Where’s the Jacobite

[@TheLazyFusspot_3428]

Henry pulls it

[@pansparrow]

The Jacobite is ran on the West Highland Line from Fort William up in Scotland

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Free my men

[@Plokman040]

You cheeky, haha I knew I heard Doug Lawrence in that scene. My leg! 😂 cheey blighter you are. Also Rowling's shouldn't die, she just needs to grow up. Only one person should live in a closet, Harry because he was forced to. That was so crass of her and I am a Pottermore fan, but she is too old fashioned in thinking which is funny, Hogwarts literally lets all kinds learn there.

[@donaldscottishengine]

idk man

[@SteamLance]

Could have stayed neutral and left any bashing of Rowling out.. without her the actors would have had a career. Maybe it was a joke but still not needed, otherwise a good video

[@thedesertrailfan]

Naw the bashing of Rowling is always funny and 100% deserved. Trans rights are human rights 🏳️‍⚧️

[@firstnamlastnam2141]

Yeah that bit felt unnecessary. Especially when it's straight up saying "die" to someone. It's just petty.

[@SteamLance]

@@thedesertrailfan Women's rights are human rights

[@thedesertrailfan]

@@SteamLance trans women are women 🏳️‍⚧️

[@joshslater2426]

I’ll admit I haven’t looked into what Rowling said, but I’m not going to start bashing her work. The Harry Potter series is still great in my opinion, and I’m glad it boosted the careers of many actors. It’s best to just enjoy the series without thinking about the author too much, even if she has said a few questionable things.

[@Comeng_]

a

[@AbeTheBabe6233]

max confirmed to be a queen fan?

[@francogodoylado6963]

Look the Hodwards expres

[@MidlandProductions]

2 minutes into the episode and you confused me

[@phil69881]

As much as I don't like GWR things, I like these cos they wind up the GWR fans 🤣😂 And, not to brag, but I know the guy who designed the Hogwarts Express headboard the loco wears.

[@VincentSidekick]

second comment!

[@flatdanii_]

"very weakly researched" sounds about right when you look at the scope of how shit the overall world building was in the HP series 🤣🤣 I have a soft spot for HP but objectively there are so many things in the series that just weren't done right

[@Skyehye3113]

I love how you send shade at jk Rowling

[@stained36]

Hate harry potter so I hate the hogwarts express