A Photo Album of Castle Class Locomotives

by Adrian Brodie / Page 2

Back in steam for the first time since 1963, on November 8, 2008, Castle class 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe visited Didcot Railway Centre, double heading a main line excursion from Solihul and return, along with Hall class 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall.

Built in March 1936, Edgcumbe was withdrawn from British Railways in December 1963. The locomotive entered Barry Scrapyard in May 1964, and came back out again, kind of intact, in August 1973. She is the forty-third locomotive to come back out of the famous Barry Scrapyard.  Originally bought to provide spare parts for sister locomotive, Nunney Castle, eventually, the decision was made to restore the locomotive to its former glory. And didn't they do a great job!  This was the Earl of Mount  Edgcumbe’s first revenue earning main line outing. 

In the photo with the four engine line-up, to the right of Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is sister engine, 5051 Earl Bathurst, currently awaiting boiler overhaul.  To the left, in brown War Department livery is 2-6-0 5322, recently re-commissioned to steam, after a complete overhaul. Originally built in 1917, this engine was sent to France as part of the war effort.  And, on the left of the photo, is Hall class 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, also visiting Didcot Railway Centre for the afternoon.

- Adrian Brodie

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe reverses towards the shed at Didcot,

to join the line-up in front of the shed.

click on thumb nail images to enlarge

L-R; Hall class 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, class 4MT 2-6-0 5322, Castle class 4-6-0s 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and 5051 Earl Bathurst.

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on the Didcot turntable ready for departure.

Caerphilly Castle on display at STEAM, the GWR museum at Swindon, in the former GWR works. In its heyday, in the 1920s, the GWR works was the largest dedicated railway works in the world, covering 326 acres.

Castles and more at Tyseley Locomotive Works, Birmingham, UK

Hall class 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall and Castle class 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe stand in front of the 1932 built original four road Great Western Railway shed at Didcot, on 20 February 2010, having come off a main line excursion from Tyseley, near Birmingham.

Class 4MT 2-6-0 5322 goes by on the demonstration line.

Castle class 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe being turned at Didcot Railway Centre

on 20 February 2010, ready for the return journey to Tyseley, Birmingham.

Castle class 4-6-0 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe stands in front of the GWR shed

at Didcot Railway Centre on 29 February 2010.

Hall class 4965 Rood Ashton Hall and Castle class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe await departure from Didcot Station, for the return journey to Tyseley, Birmingham, on 20 February 2010.

Southern Steam Trains expresses appreciation to Adrian Brodie for sharing these photos.

Check out his magnificent feature in Photo Gallery 37 on The Rail Scene in the UK