Five GWR 4-6-0 locomotives, two BR standard locos and a Western Region diesel hydraulic, at work on former GW routes – mostly!
- Hall class 4936 Kinlet Hall and 5972 Olton Hall
- Castle class 5029 Nunney Castle and 5043 Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe
- King class 6024 King Edward I
- BR Standard 7MT 70013 Oliver Cromwell
- BR Standard 4MT 76079 (nick-named “The Pocket Rocket”)
- BR(W) class 42 diesel hydraulic D1015 Western Champion
Available on Blu-ray or DVD.
You Tube clip: 5029 & 5043, The Welshes Marches Express
Only two of these trips stray outside former Great Western Territory, and both feature 5043 Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe. Birmingham-York was a regular “inter-regional” route, though I’m not sure how often Castles worked it. It’s certain, however, that the West Coast Main Line over Grayrigg and Shap was never a regular GW route!
(1 hour 20 mins)
Contents
5029 Nunney Castle, 70013 Oliver Cromwell & D1015 Western Champion
4-Apr 5029 Positioning movement (Tyseley-Oxford-Newbury-Westbury) Tackley; Great Bedwyn.
4-Apr 70013 Positioning movement (Southall-Newbury-Westbury) Little Bedwyn.
5-Apr The Royal Duchy, 5029+70013 (Westbury-Exeter-Par) Somerton; Rattery. 5029 failed at Newton Abbott so D1015, rostered to work the return trip, was summoned to assist.
The Welsh Marches Express (11:54)
5029 Nunney Castle & 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe
16-May (Shrewsbury-Hereford-Abergavenny -Gloucester-Worcester-Tyseley) All Stretton; Onibury; Hereford; Goytre; Llanvihangel Crucorney; Tidenham; Churchdown; Old Hill.
5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (16:19)
28-Mar The Bristolian (Solihull-Oxford-Swindon-Bristol and return) Kings Sutton; Tackley. 5043 failed at Didcot with a bent radius rod in the valve gear. You can hear there’s something wrong as she accelerates at Kings Sutton, and the crew are clearly taking it easy at Tackley.
25-Apr The City Of York (Tyseley-Nuneaton-Leicester-York and return) Barrow Hill.
20-Jun Castle Over Shap (Crewe-Shap-Carlisle and return) Hic Bibi (Coppull); Shap Wells; Shap; Forton.
31-Jul Positioning move (Tyseley-Marylebone) Souldern viaducts from North Aston.
1-Aug The Bekoning Bard (Marylebone-Stratford-Marylebone) West Wycombe; Saunderton; Knightcote; Fenny Compton; Ardley.
4936 Kinlet Hall & 5972 Olton Hall (9:43)
16-Mar 4936 Positioning move (Tyseley-Swindon-Bishops Lydeard) Tackley; Uffington.
18-Jul 5972 Hogwarts Express (Paddington-Oxford) South Stoke; Culham.
19-Jul 5972 The Shakespeare Express (Birmingham-Shirley-Stratford-Solihull-Birmingham (Twice)) Bishopton (two locations); Bearley Junction.
The Cambrian (25:32)
14-27 Aug 76079 (Machynlleth-Porthmadog(-Pwllheli) and return) Barmouth; Llanaber (two locations); Penrhyndeudraeth (several locations); Criccieth; Afon Wen; Porthmadog; Afon Wen; Black Rock; Llandecwyn (two locations); Llanaber; Barmouth-Morfa Mawddach-Friog
6024 King Edward I (9:15)
10-Aug (Bristol-Shrewsbury-Bristol) Llanvihangel Crucorney. Booked as an ECS test run, this was also Bernard Staite’s memorial train.
12-Dec The Christmas Bristolian (Bristol-Bath-Swindon-Paddington and return) Dauntsey Bank; Compton Beauchamp; South Moreton; Moulsford; Hanwell (ECS); Paddington; Tilehurst.