7029 Clun Castle Tackles the Boars Head Climb - 26th September 2025

GWR 4073 Class No. 7029 Clun Castle is seen heading north along the west coast main line and through Boars Head north of Wigan on the afternoon of Friday 26th September 2025.

The steam locomotive with a pair of coaches were on an light engine movement from Tyseley Steam Trust to Carnforth Steamtown ahead of working a special charter train the following day.

The steam engine would run on "The Shap Mountaineer" for Vintage Trains which is another Birmingham to Carlisle job. Full details of that below.
The locomotive was needed to be worked pretty hard here with the line from Wigan to Copull /Balshaw Lane all uphill in the northbound direction or well majority. I am roughly 3 miles north of Wigan North Western here

More on the locomotive
GWR 4073 Class No. 7029 Clun Castle is a 4-6-0 steam locomotive built at Swindon Works in May 1950 to a design by Charles Collett for operation on the Western Region of British Railways. It was named after Clun Castle in Shropshire.

Clun Castle is a relative newcomer having been built in 1950 by British Railways to the famous Great Western Railway Castle class design. She was modified towards the end of her career and fitted with a four-row superheater and double chimney, enabling her to compete with new diesels being introduced on fast trains. And compete she did, taking the record for the shortest timed point to point journey from Plymouth to Bristol in 1964 from the previous record holder, City of Truro. This epic run by the last of her class in everyday service ensured 7029’s preservation, and she came to Tyseley to begin a distinguished second career in preservation.

She powered the last express steam train on the GWR’s northern route to Birkenhead, the last steam train out of both Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street stations, so making a trilogy of lasts as she was also the last steam locomotive to run out of Paddington, hauling the last steam train on the Western Region. Not content with that, 7029 hauled the first ‘Return to Steam’ celebration run ending the infamous BR steam ban and was the first steam locomotive to return to Cornwall, a highlight of the 150th anniversary of the GWR. In 1988 she was driven part way to Tyseley by HRH The Prince of Wales in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the London & Birmingham Railway and also ran the very first Shakespeare Express under the Vintage Trains banner.

More Castle Class Steam

7029 Clun Castle
https://youtu.be/2N2zEAw9x4Q

5029 Nunney Castle
https://youtu.be/7X4QAziGiGU

The official working today 7029 Clun Castle
3Z31 0933 Tyseley Steam Trust to Carnforth Steamtown

Passed 1305
Running 1 early

Positioning move ahead of railtour the next day
The Shap Mountaineer (Vintage Trains)
37240 or 47773Birmingham New Street (pu) - Wolverhampton (pu) - Stafford (pu) - Crewe (pu) - Warrington Bank Quay (pu) - Preston (pu) - Carnforth
7029Carnforth - Shap - Carlisle
7029 Carlisle - Appleby - S&C - Hellifield
37240 or 47773 Hellifield - Blackburn (sd) - Warrington Bank Quay (sd) - Crewe (sd) - Stafford (sd) - Wolverhampton (sd) - Birmingham New Street

Thanks for watching and subscribe to see more rail videos coming soon

Filmed at Boars Head Wigan (Standish)
Filmed Friday 26th September 2025

#7029cluncastle #cluncastle #steamtrain #7029
#wcml #steamengine #steamlocomotive
#geatwesterncastleclass
#castleclass #castleclaas7029 #greatwesternsteam
#boarshead
#gwr #greatwesternrailway
#theshapmountaineer
#vintagetrains #steamtrain