GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Lapworth Station: gwrl2322

British Railways 4-6-0 4073 (Castle) class No 7029 ‘Clun Castle’ in pristine condition with an express headcode and excursion ‘X84’ destination board on a SLS special from Birmingham to Westbury on Sunday 24th January 1965. Lapworth was the end of the quadrupled section of track and the locomotive is accelerating after crossing from the up relief line to the up main line. The speed over this crossing was restricted to 40 mph.

On the right, parallel to the main line is the up refuge siding with capacity for 72 standard wagons, plus locomotive and brake van. In the foreground is a double compound switch, where a diamond crossing has been provided with two slips to allow passage between the rail-roads being crossed. This switch provided a link to the up refuge siding from the trailing connection off the up main line and also provided a link to the goods yard sidings. The goods yard sidings were taken out of use in 1964 leaving the six ton yard crane in splendid isolation. To the right of the crane can be seen the redundant cattle dock.

The ‘Castle’ class locomotives designed by Chief Mechanical Engineer Charles Collett in 1923, as a compromise to keep within the 20 ton axle load restrictions, proved to be the most powerful passenger locomotives of their day. The class eventually comprised 171 locomotives, including 16 reconstructed ‘Star’ class locomotives and could be found heading the express services across the Great Western Railway. The boiler operated at 225lb developing a tractive effort at 85% of 31,625lbs (Power Group D). No 7029 was built in May 1950 at Swindon works as part of the last batch (lot 375) of ‘Castle’ class locomotives to be constructed and when built had a three row superheater. These locomotives were also fitted with a mechanical lubricator to oil the cylinders and valves.

Locomotive No 7029 was originally allocated to Newton Abbot shed where it was still allocated in March 1959. Fitted with a double chimney and 4 row superheater in October 1959, No 7029 remained in service until December 1965 when it was withdrawn from Horton Road shed (85B) in Gloucester having been given the distinction of working the last official steam train out of Paddington on the 11th of June 1965. Unlike many of its class No 7029 was subsequently saved from the blow torch being bought by local businessman and enthusiast Mr Patrick Whitehouse before being passed on to ‘7029 Clun Castle Ltd.’ Clun Castle is now at Tyseley Locomotive Works. For more information see Tyseley Locomotive Works - Clun Castle.

Robert Ferris

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