Changes

|years3 = 1986|events3 = Re-entered service|years4 = 2006|events3 events4 = Reentered Re-entered service

4566 is a GWR Churchward 4500 2-6-2T'[[Whyte notation|Small Prairie]]', designed for light a class of small mixed traffic worklocomotives mainly used on branch lines. They were a common sight on the Severn Valley Branch from the 1920s; the last use there being in 1961.<ref name = "SB9">SVR Stock Book 9th Edition</ref> The class was rated 4MT by British Railways.

4566 is a GWR Churchward 4500 '[[Whyte notation|Small Prairie]]'was built in Swindon in 1924 and entered service at Newton Abbot. Post-War, the locomotive worked in the far south west, a class of small mixed traffic locomotives mainly used on branch linesincluding allocations to St. Ives and Penzance sheds. The class 4566 was rated 4MT notable for being the last steam locomotive overhauled at Newton Abbot works, completed on 15 July 1960, being ceremonially driven out of the works by British Railwaysthe chairman of the local urban district council (a mainline diesel driver).<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1417780338248850&id=161421647218065 Didcot Railway Centre Facebook Page], retrieved 15 Jul 2016</ref>

4566 was built in Swindon in 1924 and entered service at Newton Abbot. Post-War, the locomotive worked in the far Southwest, including allocations to St. Ives and Penzance sheds. 4566 was notable for being the last steam locomotive overhauled at Newton Abbot works, completed on 15 July 1960, being ceremonially driven out of the works by the chairman of the local urban district council (a mainline diesel driver).<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1417780338248850&id=161421647218065 Didcot Railway Centre Facebook Page], retrieved 15 Jul 2016</ref> The engine was withdrawn from BR service at Plymouth Laira shed by BR in April 1962.having achieved 967,914 miles in preservation,<ref name = "SB9"/><ref>[http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/262_4500det.htm The Great Western Archive] retrieved 27 January 2015,</ref> arriving at [[Barry Scrapyard | Barry]] in August of that year.<ref name = "BarryStory">The Barry Story, Beckett & Hardingham (2010)</ref>

4566 was the 8th locomotive to leave Barry and the first from there destined for the SVR.<ref name = "BarryStory" /> She arrived at the SVR from [[Barry Scrapyard]] Bewdley by rail, diesel hauled, on 25 August 1970. Following restoration<Ref> SVR News 18</ref> Restoration at Bewdley began shortly afterwards, and was completed in time for the locomotive first entered to enter service in July 1975, the 10th anniversary of the formation of the SVR. <ref name = "SB9"/> The following year 4566 was used in filming of Walt Disney's live action film [[Candleshoe]], with the locomotive also appearing in the 1977 TV movie [[Silver Blaze]].

4566’s By late 1979, 4566 had suffered a crack in the drag box and was also suffering from leaking boiler tubes,<ref>SVR News 53-54</ref>, leading to the locomotive being withdrawn for overhaul mid-way into her first ten year ‘ticket’. Having reached the front of the queue, the overhaul also included a new bunker, new side tanks and new slide bars,<ref>SVR News 79</ref> and was eventually completed with a return to steam in June 1986.<ref>SVR News 81</ref> In 1988, 4566 made another TV appearance in [[Hannay]]. Two years later, Sunday 13 May 1990 saw the normal summertime Table C timetable in use, requiring 5 steam locomotives. The SVR achieved a rare ‘full house’ by rostering GWR 4566 along with [[SR 34027 Taw Valley]], [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|LMS 46443]], LNER 3442 The Great Marquess and [[BR Riddles 4MT 75069|BR Standard 75069]]. 4566 spent the summer of 1991 on hire to the Llangollen Railway, evidently successfully as a repeat visit took place the following year. The last full year of this ticket, 1995, also involved a period of hire, this time to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. 4566 was then withdrawn for overhaul at the beginning of 1996. Following another period out of service, the most recent overhaul was completed in late 2006with an entry into service in early 2007. The locomotive In May of that year, 4566 was used on a steam-hauled revenue earning freight charter, taking a load of pipes to Trimpley Reservoir for Severn Trent Water. 4566 began this ticket in GWR green livery, but in early 2014 was repainted in BR black livery with the early ‘cycling lion’ crest. November 2016 marked 4566’s last gala appearance at the November ‘Season Finale’. {{As of|2016|12}} 4566 is therefore expected to operational but will shortly be withdrawn from service during 2016 at the end of the boiler’s ’10-year ticket’.