R.o.B Motive Power
GWR Castle class 4-6-0
Specifications: GWR and BR 'Castle' class 4-6-0 built from 1923-1950 including re-builds of Star class locomotives
BR numbers: 4037, 4073-4099, 5000-5099, 7000-7037
Tractive effort: 31625lb
Cylinders: (4) 16 in x 26 in
Driving Wheels: 6 ft 8 1/2 in
Bogie wheels: 3 ft 2 in
Length: 65 ft 2 in
Steam pressure: 225lb psi
Fuel/Capacity: 6 tons
Water Capacity: 4000gallons
Total Weight: 125 tons 11cwt
Valve gear: Inside Walschaerts with rocking shafts to outside motion
Purpose: Express passenger
BR power classification: 7P
GWR Power class: D
Route availability: Red
This class of locomotive had its origins in the 1900's when the first of the GWR's 4 cylinder 'Star' class locomotives were rolled off the production line at Swindon designed by George Churchward whose work set the principle for later steam locomotive design across the country. By the 1920's the GWR needed a faster more powerful locomotive to compete with the London South Western Railway towards the West Country so Charles Collet, successor to Churchward re-designed the 'Star' class with a larger boiler and cylinders though on the frames of a 'Star' with some 'Stars' converted to 'Castles'. These locomotives were the primary express passenger locomotives for over 40 years for not only the GWR but also BR western region and are considered to be one of the most successful locomotives to ever operate on the Railways of Britain. The Prototype locomotive of the class was 'Caerphilly Castle' introduced in the August of 1923 and appeared at the Empire exhibition at Wembley in 1924 as a prime exhibit for the GWR and was displayed next to the then LNER A1 'Flying Scotsman'. These greyhounds of British locomotion as they have been known were a common site on prestigious fast services such as the Cheltenham Flyer which ran at an average timetabled speed of 66.2mph in 1929 and was one of the fastest scheduled services in the world at that time. The class hit the record books on the 8th June 1932 when No.5006 (BR number) covered the 77 1/4 miles from Swindon to London Paddington in 56 1/2 minutes with 39 miles of that run with a speed of 90mph and even towards the ends of their lives they were clocked doing over 100mph on specials. Amazingly and in a fore runner of the later British Railways exchange trials the LNER and GWR swapped locomotives to try them out on there services, the LNER finding the 'Castle' to be of much superior economy and performance than their own A1's and took on board some of the ideas to create the A3's. These locomotives though happy with the express routes could be found almost anywhere on the GWR and BR western region. Though withdrawl started from the early 1960's 8 of the class were preserved including Caerphilly Castle four of which have seen regular main line traffic.
'Nunney Castle' No.5029: This locomotive held BR number 5029 having been part of the GWR Swindon build of locomotives and was introduced in to traffic in 1934 and by 1948 was operating out of Old Oak Common shed though in March 1959 shed allocation Worcester Last shed allocation Cardiff East Dock. It was withdrawn with others of its class in the December of 1963 and was purchased by Woodham's of Barry in May of 1964 arriving at the scrapyard in the June. The Great Western Society purchased the engine and moved it to Didcot Railway centre in the May of 1976 making it the 81st locomotive to be saved. When its restoration was completed it was moved on 24th January 1991 to the Great Central for its 1000 mile run in where it could achieve speeds of 60mph and was then transferred to the East Lancashire Railway where it remained from 1992 to 1995, today it regularly tours the countries preserved railways and also does main line running.