GWR Castle Class Centenary Line-Up - Didcot Railway Centre - 04/03/23

Celebrating 100 years since the first GWR Castle Class locomotive, 4073 'Caerphilly Castle', rolled out of Swindon Works, Didcot Railway Centre hosts to a line-up of four surviving GWR Castle Class locos, the most ever seen together in preservation. Didcot's own 4079 'Pendennis Castle', which returned to steam last year for the first time in the UK since 1977, and 5051 'Drysllwyn Castle' were joined by both surviving double chimney examples of the class, in the form of Vintage Trains' 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' and BR built 7029 'Clun Castle'. GWR 4100 Large Prairie 4144 was also on hand to run passenger trains along the demonstration line, sporting a fresh repaint into GWR Livery.

5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' joins the line-up fresh from overhaul, making her first proper appearance since returning to steam only weeks prior to the event, having been out of action on the mainline since 2017. Both 5043 and 7029 took charge of a Vintage Trains private charter, running double headed from Birmingham Moor Street to Didcot Parkway, before joining 4079 and 5051 in the yard at Didcot. Both locos were turned and serviced before returning north. Following the line-up event, we catch the double chimney pair on the return leg of the charter, running at full pelt away from Oxford.

LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrickishRailYT/
Twitter: http://www.twiter.com/BrickishRailYT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brickishrail/

LOCOS & STOCK
GWR Castle Class 4079 'Pendennis Castle'
GWR Castle Class 5051 'Drysllwyn Castle'
GWR 4575 Class 5572
GWR 5700 Pannier Tank 3738
GWR 6100 Class 6106
GWR 5600 Prairie Tank 6697
GWR 4100 Large Prairie 4144
GWR Castle Class 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe'
BR(W) Castle Class 7029 'Clun Caslte'
British Railways Gas Turbine Locomotive 18000 'Kerosene Castle'

VIDEO CONTENTS
0:00 - 4079 & 5051 - Didcot
2:17 - 5043 & 7029 Arrival - Didcot
4:31 - 4079, 5043, 5051 & 7029 - Didcot
8:13 - 7029 Turntable - Didcot
12:44 - 5043 & 7029 - Yarnton

Filmed on 4th March 2023. Many thanks for the company of @TheSouthernerYTChannel.