A day return trip on the Hogwarts' express IT'S the train that is never cancelled, never dirty and never runs late, so it must be magic. But then the Hogwarts Express isn't a scheduled service it is the amazing loco that transports Harry Potter to the school of wizardry where his famous adventures begin. In the film, the steam engine's official name is the Hogwarts Castle, but in reality it is No 5972 Olton Hall a 4-6-0 built for the Great Western Railway in 1941, as all trainspotters will know. Yesterday, it was given a run out on a more mundane line than the one which runs to Hogwarts Academy from the mythical Platform 93/4 at King's Cross in the JK Rowling book on which the film is based. Engineers were testing it on the less mystical but still decidedly scenic trip from Carnforth in Lancashire to Carlisle, before filming starts on the sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The train is owned by West Coast Railway and is normally green but was painted red for the film. It is used to take passengers on nostalgic trips back to the age of steam, though not literally, of course it's not really magic. A day return trip on the Hogwarts' express - Daily Mail - 7th December 2001
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