Didcot Railway Centre - 'The Four Castles' 04/03/2023

Reputed to be one of the UK's most successful locomotive designs, the Great Western Railway 4073 'Castle' Class celebrates its centenary in 2023, marking 100 years since the pioneer of the class, 4073 "Caerphilly Castle", emerged from Swindon works in the summer of 1923. As a celebration to commemorate this milestone, the Didcot Railway Centre organised an event to display four surviving members of the class together outside their 1932 built engine shed.

A direct development of the existing 4000 'Star' Class, the 'Castle' featured an extended frame, a larger and lighter boiler, larger cylinders, and an increased firebox grate. 171 examples were built in total, thereby becoming the most numerous express passenger locomotive design produced by the GWR.

The Didcot ensemble would feature the home pairing of 4079 "Pendennis Castle" and 5051 "Drysllwyn Castle", being joined by the Tyseley duo of 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe" and 7029 "Clun Castle". The quartet would be lined up in numerical order, with three of the four in steam. Resident 'Large Prairie' - 4144 would also be in service on the main demonstration line.

In order to participate at the event, the Tyseley pair would work a railtour to Didcot from Birmingham Snow Hill, with the locomotives arriving into the Railway Centre for the line-up, before being turned and serviced ahead of working the return leg of the railtour back to Birmingham. The railtour would mark a preservation first, as the first time double-chimney 'Castle' Class locomotives double-headed on the mainline.

As enthusiasts packed out Didcot, a slightly more conservative approach was taken to filming, in order to not fall foul of the crowds. This saw more focus spent on recording the line-up itself, while only filming 7029 on the turntable, before leaving Didcot and heading to Yarnton to witness the Tyseley pair romping north the the return leg of their railtour.

Locomotives:
GWR 4073 'Castle' Class - 5051 "Drysllwyn Castle"
GWR 4073 'Castle' Class - 4079 "Pendennis Castle"
GWR 5101 'Large Prairie' Class - 4144
Ex-GWR 4073 'Castle' Class - 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe"
BR(W) 4073 'Castle' Class - 7029 "Clun Castle"

All footage filmed on Saturday the 4th of March 2023.