Clun Castle back in action after ‘transplant’ operation succeeds

AFTER THE unexpected failure of 7029 Clun Castle on July 26 with a cracked superheater header – just ahead of its post-overhaul debut – an operation to transfer the superheater header from fellow Tyseley-based Castle 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe to 7029, was successfully completed four-weeks later.

The two Castles are the only surviving four-row 28-element superheater examples.

After a main line test on August 25, Clun worked the final Birmingham-stratford ‘Shakespeare Express’ of the five-weeks’ Sunday season, on August 29. An extra date, September 5, was then added to the programme to make up some of the lost revenue.

Until then the trains were hauled by hired-in Class 20 diesel locomotives, 20189/227.

A permanent solution – making a superheater-header pattern, casting and machining – is expected to cost £15,000-£20,000. Also, as no drawings survive, ‘reverse engineering’ is being used to create new drawings from which a pattern can be made.

It was originally planned to have 5043’s overhaul completed this summer, but this is now expected to be spring 2022.