Thornbury Castle sold for Great Central Railway restoration
UNRESTORED Collett ‘Castle’
No. 7027 Thornbury Castle is being restored for operation at the Great Central Railway (GCR) following its sale to a private buyer by West Somerset Railway chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt.
The 1949-built 4-6-0 was bought by Mr Jones-Pratt’s firm JJP Holdings from record producer Pete Waterman back in 2016, but has not received any significant restoration work since then.
There was a plan to send the locomotive to Tyseley Locomotive Works for a contract restoration to main line standard, but with ‘Hall’ No. 4936 Kinlet
Hall and ‘94XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 9466 to maintain, Mr Jones-Pratt admitted in November he would consider offers for the ‘Castle’ if he felt they were in the best interests of the locomotive.
The new owner is understood to be a significant supporter of the GCR and, under the conditions of the sale and purchase agreement, No. 7027 will be restored to run there for the duration of its next 10-year boiler ticket. However, the GCR has confirmed it will not be made available for any main line operation, and will remain as one of the railway’s top attractions.
“We are excited this locomotive is coming to the GCR and very proud the new owner has chosen to have it restored in our works and for it to run here once completed,” said the GCR’s managing director, Michael Gough.
“This is a major project and will involve significant hours and expense, but we are ready for the challenge.”
Thornbury Castle was expected to move from its current base at Williton on the West Somerset Railway during week commencing January 27.
The restoration will be undertaken at the GCR’s locomotive works in Loughborough under the leadership of chief engineer
Craig Stinchcombe.
“We are obviously sad to lose this iconic engine from the Group but, at the same time, very pleased, as I always wish to see the right decision being made for these wonderful engines,”said Mr Jones-Pratt.
“For me, this is a good move for ‘Thornbury’and we have been pleased to play a key part in ensuring the engine is restored as a ‘Castle’. We are satisfied there is the right commitment to rebuild the engine to the right standard, and wish the Great Central team well with the project.”
Thornbury Castle has not run since its withdrawal by British Railways in 1963. It spent the next nine years at Woodham Brothers’ Barry Scrapyard, but left in 1972 after being bought for preservation by Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley.
It was later sold to the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust in 1994, moving first to Crewe Heritage Centre and later to Peak Rail, until being bought by JJP Holdings in July 2016.
The move to the GCR will reunite No. 7027 with former shedmate ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, with which it shared shed space at Old Oak Common during the 1950s.