Vol 39: Main Line 2009 – GWR & BR Locomotives

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

The Royal Duchy (6:25)

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.

Gallery

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