May 9, 1964: Clun Castle’s date with destiny
Tyseley’s ‘Castle’ No. 7029 Clun Castle has chalked up a number of claims to fame over the years, but its best-known achievement came on May 9, 1964 when, while running between Plymouth and Bristol, it wrote itself into in the record books, as Gary Boyd-H
Gary Boyd-Hope looks back at Ian Allan ‘Great Western’ railtour of May 1964 and the record-breaking role of No. 7029 Clun Castle.
THE March issue of The RM told the story of how GWR ‘Castle’ No. 4079 Pendennis Castle secured its place in preservation, highlighting the role it played on the famous Ian Allan ‘Z48’ railtour of
May 9, 1964 and its influence on the loco’s subsequent survival.
Yet No. 4079 was not the only surviving ‘Castle’ to work on that history-making tour. Its younger classmate No. 7029 Clun Castle is now best-known at the flagship of the Tyseley/Vintage Trains operation, but on that May day it propelled itself into the record books, and in doing so virtually guaranteed its continued existence. The story of that journey, and the exploits of Clun Castle , is what follows.
As the 1960s approached its mid-point British Railways’ Western Region (BR(W)) steam was well into its twilight years. The highly lauded ‘King’ class 4-6-0s had all disappeared in 1962, and by the start of 1964 it appeared the popular ‘Castles’ were not far behind.
Of the 171 ‘Castles’ built at Swindon (or converted from other types like the
‘Stars’) between 1923 and 1959, fewer than one-fifth remained in service.
It was clear the ‘Castles’, and BR(W) steam in general, did not have long left. Consequently, it was felt by many that this most successful express class should have one final fling before the end came. Fortunately, the team at Ian Allan Publishing and the Western Region’s management had just the ticket.
May 9, 1964, marked 60 years to the day since No. 3440 City of Truro reputedly touched 102.3mph during its descent of Wellington Bank in Somerset while hauling the ‘Ocean Mails’ from Plymouth to Paddington.
Even today the authenticity of this claim is still being debated, but for BR(W) in 1964 it provided the perfect excuse to try for something special, and prove once and for all why the ‘Castles’ deserved their enviable reputation.
The plan drawn up was for a commemorative railtour starting at Paddington and running non-stop to Plymouth via Westbury and Castle
Cary, the out-of-use water troughs at Aldermaston and Exminster being refilled especially for the trip. The return leg would run via Bristol and include a bid to reach 100mph on the racing stretch at Little Somerford between Bristol and Swindon.
The train would be called the
‘Great Western’!
7029 makes the cut
Much was hinging on the tour being a success, especially as the BBC was going to film a special documentary called Steaming Ton for BBC2, which would focus primarily on the 100mph attempt. It was essential, therefore, that the right ‘Castles’ be selected for the job, and the men given the responsibility for selecting them were Old Oak Common inspector Bill Andress and BR(W)’s senior locomotive inspector Jack
Hancock. Between them Hancock and Andress arranged to test 10 of the 37 remaining ‘Castles’ on the Paddington-Worcester-Hereford route, home of the ‘Cathedrals Express’.
The locos chosen were those deemed to be in the best condition, including Nos. 5054 Earl of Ducie, 5091 Cleeve Abbey, 5096 Bridgwater Castle and 7022 Hereford Castle, which were moved to Worcester shed in April 1964 to join 85A’s own Nos. 7023 Penrice Castle and 7025 Sudeley Castle. These were put through their paces on scheduled Down services with the 1-in-100 decent of Honeybourne Bank from Chipping Camden Tunnel, providing opportunities for the Worcester crews to really let the 4-6-0s fly.
The remaining four were No. 4079
Pendennis Castle from Bristol St Philips Marsh, and Old Oak Common’s Nos. 7008 Swansea Castle, 7032 Denbigh Castle and 7029 Clun Castle.
Interestingly, only Nos. 7008, 7023 and 7029 were fitted with double-chimneys, while No. 5091 was one of the class rebuilt from a Churchward ‘Star’ and No. 4079 was one of the earliest examples (dating from 1924) and still largely in original condition.
Jack Hancock ultimately rejected Cleeve Abbey and Bridgwater Castle, but allocated the remaining eight locos to the railtour according to merit of how they performed during the tests. No. 5054 had been the favourite to get the 100mph sprint, and was even filmed at Honeybourne by the BBC for Steaming Ton, so it came as no surprise when it was indeed chosen for the starring role of the ‘Great Western’ railtour.
The other train engines chosen were Pendennis Castle, which would work the outward leg from Paddington to Plymouth, and Clun Castle for the Plymouth to Bristol section. Meanwhile, Penrice Castle was allocated as the standby at Old Oak Common, Sudeley Castle at Taunton, Swansea Castle at Plymouth, Denbigh Castle at Bristol Bath Road and Hereford Castle would be based at Swindon should its services be required.
All was set for what would go on to be regarded as one of the greatest railtours of the BR steam era, and one in which No. 7029 would carve its place in the annals of railway history.
It all goes wrong
Saturday, May 9, dawned bright but breezy as No. 4079 was prepared at Old Oak Common for the first leg of the ‘Great Western’ – non-stop from Paddington to Plymouth.
Old Oak driver Alf Perfect and firemen
Doug Godden and Brian Green had been chosen to crew the loco, ensuring the tender was brimming with specially selected best Ogilvie steam coal, and the copper and brass gleamed as it backed onto the waiting seven-coach Mk1 set at Paddington.
The train, weighing 243 tare tons, was given the reporting number ‘Z48’ (Z and X being used for special trains), carried in the usual Western manner on the smokebox door. It was billed as a high-speed service, featuring Pullmanstyle dining at every seat, while roofboards carried the legend ‘The Great Western’ or ‘Paddington to Plymouth’.
This was a train the Western Region had put a lot of effort into organising, so it came as no surprise to find the region’s ‘top’ brass’ on board.
Pendennis Castle itself carried the Western Region’s coat of arms on the top smokebox bracket above the reporting number and the
‘Ian Allan Rail Tour’ headboard on the middle bracket above the bufferbeam.
The cabside even carried a small white plate identifying the driver as A I Perfect; a provision available to most ‘Top Link’ locos but rarely ever adopted.
Sparks flying
The tour started as the Western Region management intended – impressively! Pendennis Castle covered the distance to Reading in just 33 minutes, and the run over the Berks & Hants route – a line not known for its racing stretches – saw speeds reach the high 80s and low 90s.
The ‘Castle’ was still running well at Pewsey, clocking 94mph at Lavington, but concerns started to be raised by those on board when sparks started to be seen flying from beneath the engine. At least one passenger reported being hit by a glowing cinder, and it was evident all was not well with No. 4079’s fire grate. It had begun to melt, and there was concern the rear driving axle could be getting hot as a result.
With no way of contacting the loco crew, and fears a sudden brake application could cause the axle to break, the decision was made to pull the communication cord and bring the train to a steady halt at the Edington & Bratton intermediate block signal. Inspection of No. 4079 confirmed the firebars had started to melt; the special coal seemingly the loco’s undoing owing to its high combustion temperature. The non-stop run was over, as was
Pendennis Castle’s part in it. The signal telephone was used to request a path to Westbury and a change of locomotive; No. 4079 limped the rest of the way. The nearest standby ‘Castle’ – No. 7025 Sudeley Castle – was 47 miles away at Taunton, and there were fears there would be a long wait for it to be summoned if no alternative was available at Westbury.
Fortune, it seemed, was smiling on ‘Z48’ as ‘Modified Hall’ 4-6-0 No. 6999 Capel Dewi Hall had completed a day’s work and was sitting on Westbury’s ash pit, its tender half full of a mixture of dusty coal and ovoids, with even a bit of cement thrown in.
No. 4079 was detached from the train and taken to the shed where the two London firemen set about making up the fire and getting the loco ready to take the train on to Taunton, where Sudeley Castle could relieve it.
While Pendennis Castle’s day was in tatters, it is worth noting that even with the delay caused by the brake application and subsequent actions, it had covered the 95.6 miles from Paddington in 92min 17sec. A very impressive performance.
Record performance
When the grimy No. 6999 backed onto the train a ‘Festiniog Railway Special’ headboard was, for some reason, wedged between the top lamp bracket and the handrail. It didn’t really look the part, but what came next was nothing short of miraculous.
In short, the ‘Modified Hall’ covered the 47 miles to Taunton in just 43min 11sec, reaching a top speed of 86mph at Curry Rivell Junction, 80mph at Athelney, 77mph at Cogload Junction and 75mph at Creech Junction. It was a record performance for a ‘Modified Hall’, leading some on board the train to request it be kept on all the way to Plymouth.
No. 7025 had been the last of the eight ‘Castles’ selected and hadn’t really been expected to play a role in the day. However, the London crew, by now on their third loco of the day after taking over the loco at Taunton, managed to put in a sterling performance over the challenging sections through Somerset and South Devon, cresting Whiteball Summit at 44mph and hitting 62 through Wellington, then running through Exeter St Davids at 55 despite an earlier signal check.
Impressive feat
Speed restrictions west of Exeter hampered any further higher-speed running through Devon, a t.s.r (temporary speed restriction) at Teignmouth limiting speed to 45mph. Nevertheless, it went over the top at Dainton at 27mph, ran through Totnes at 56 and over Rattery Summit at 37. In all it covered the 82.8 miles from Taunton just 51 seconds outside the 97-minute schedule; an impressive feat given it had done it from a standing start whereas the timetable allowed for a non-stop run.
Driver Perfect and his firemen were now owed a much-deserved rest, and were naturally roundly congratulated by well-wishers at Plymouth. No. 7025 was then taken off the train while No. 7008 Swansea Castle took the empty stock to Millbay for servicing.
Passengers, meanwhile, had the opportunity to explore Plymouth or take in a cruise of the Naval Dockyard. Few could imagine they would soon be making history with Clun Castle.
At the time of ‘Z48’ No. 7029 was just 14 years old and one of the few remaining ‘Castles’ fitted with a double-chimney. It was built as one of the final batch by British Railways (Lot 375) and delivered in May 1950. It is worth noting 26 years separated ‘Clun’ from its elder sibling
Pendennis Castle, which had been built as one of the first batch of ‘Castles’ (Lot 224) in 1924, a testament to its condition that it was chosen to take part in May 9 roster.
Newton Abbot inspector Harold Cooke had overseen the preparation of Clun Castle at Laira shed in the days leading up to the big day. The booked driver for the run to Bristol was Laira’s own Harry Roach who, according to reports, arrived at the depot the day before the railtour to find No. 7029’s tender brimming with coal known for burning too hot (the same Ogilvie stock used on No. 4079 perhaps?). Apparently, Roach ordered the tender to be emptied and refilled with a hand-sorted selection instead.
The locomotive certainly looked the part, with paintwork and brass gleaming as it brought the empty stock back to Plymouth North Road from Millbay. Firemen Bill Rundle and Bill Watts had boiler pressure sitting right on the line when the whistle blew and No. 7029 stormed away from North Road at 4.30pm.
Challenging climb
Within minutes the train was at Plympton and onto the long, challenging climb up Hemerdon Bank, an almost unbroken gradient of between 1-in-41 and 1-in-42 for 2½ miles to Hemerdon Summit. Driver Roach had the reverser set at 20% cut-off at the bottom of the bank, winding to 45% about halfway up where it remained all the way to the top, cresting the summit at 23mph.
No. 7029 was running well and speed picked on the descent of Rattery Bank, flashing through Totnes at 58mph and making the racing horses at Newton Abbot racecourse look like they were standing still. Progress was then hampered after, to everyone’s surprise and annoyance, ‘Control’ allowed a parcels train to get in front of ‘Z48’ despite instructions to give the special a clear road. It was not until the ‘parcels’ was looped at Exminster that No. 7029 was able to get ahead of it.
Roach quickly had the four-cylinder machine back in its stride, passing Tiverton Junction at 75mph ahead of the arduous climb to Whiteball Summit. Through the tunnel and speed began to rise as the train accelerated down Wellington Bank, where City of Truro had clocked its famous ‘ton’ 60 years earlier. A top speed of 96mph was reached before having to brake to get through Wellington, and shutting off again at Norton Fitzwarren in order to run through Taunton.
The line swung north at Cogload Junction, but No. 7029 was still on the pace, passing through Bridgwater at 78mph, Dunball at 82, Highbridge at 86, Brent Knoll at 88 and Yatton at a flying 91mph. However, all good things must come to an end and before long Clun Castle was rolling into Bristol Temple Meads at the end of its journey, a whopping 15 minutes up on the booked time.
Those on board knew something special had taken place, and word quickly spread that No. 7029 had taken the record for steam over the 127.4 miles from Plymouth to Bristol.
It covered the distance in 133 mins 9sec, or 128min net, and it was later found out it could have topped 100mph down Wellington Bank. An 80mph restriction had been lifted the day before but nobody had informed the loco crew, not that it applied to diesels only.
Renowned train timer and Railway Magazine columnist Cecil J Allen was overjoyed, later describing the run as “a triumph for engine and crew. A real record breaker”.
Naturally, such an exhilarating performance prompted many, including those who had requested Capel Dewi Hall to stay on the train after Taunton on the outward leg, to call for ‘Clun’ to remain on the front to London and really go for a ‘ton’. Alas it was not to be, but the loco had done enough, and its place in the railway history books, and ultimately preservation, was secure.
To London
There was a tangible sense of high anticipation as No. 5054 Earl of Ducie readied itself for departure to London from Bristol. Word had spread this was going to be a highspeed attempt and a large crowd gathered to see the train off. The BBC joined the train at this point, camera crews filming on board while others were at the lineside ready to capture the historic run.
Of the three main ‘Castles’ of the day
No. 5054 sat between Nos. 4079 and 7029, having been built in 1936 as part of Lot 303 – the same batch as Tyseley’s preserved No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. Like ‘Edgcumbe’,
No. 5054 had originally had a ‘Castle’ name (Lamphey Castle), but was renamed in 1937, assuming the nameplates previously carried by Collett ‘Dukedog’ 4-4-0 No. 3211 (9011).
Despite being a single-chimney example it had emerged as the top choice of the earlier trials, and was specially prepared at Bristol Bath Road ready for its moment in the limelight.
The goal was to reach 100mph between Badminton and Wootton Bassett, somewhere along the racing stretch at Little Somerford. The pressure was on driver Fred Higby to deliver something special.
The running was good, particularly near Hullavington, in spite of trespass, but the ‘ton’ would remain elusive. The best speed achieved was 94mph, just shy of the top speed achieved by No. 7029 earlier in the day. However, after Swindon speeds failed to get higher than 90mph.
It was by no means a poor run. No. 5054 had been doing 61mph through Wootton Basset Junction and 78mph through Swindon. By the time it reached Didcot it was romping along at 82, still doing 78mph through the centre road at Reading, and passing Twyford at 72.
Impressive performance
Even the approaches to London were quick, Southall flashing by at 82mph and 80mph maintained as it ran through Acton. Speed had dropped to 34mph at Westbourne Park, but even so by the time the train rolled into platform 8 at Paddington it had taken 4½ minutes off its 100min schedule.
It wasn’t what the Western Region management or the BBC camera crews had hoped for, but it was nevertheless an impressive performance.
The 117.6 miles from Bristol had been covered in 95min 33sec, which compared very favourably with the record time of 93min 50sec set by ‘Castle’ No. 7018 Drysllwyn Castle on April 28, 1958.
There have been many theories as to why No. 5054 didn’t reach the magic 100mph that day, from the effects of strong crosswinds
to poor quality coal. It is certainly true the crew struggled to maintain full boiler pressure between Stoke Gifford and Badminton, and footage taken on the day does show the exhaust being whipped by the wind.
Yet there are those who maintain that Earl of Ducie was the wrong choice, and that Clun Castle, with its double chimney, would have been able to reach the desired speed. Who knows what might have happened if ‘Clun’ had been allowed to stay on the train at Bristol?
It may not have been the first choice loco for the day, but No. 7029 had done enough to ensure its preservation, as had Pendennis Castle. The two would again work together on the ‘Zulu’ and ‘Birkenhead Flyer’ railtours of March 4, 1967, which were laid on again by Ian Allan to commemorate the last through runs between Paddington and Birkenhead.
60th anniversary
No. 7029 went on to be the last ‘Castle’ in BR service, hauling the final steam-hauled train out of Paddington in 1965, and the last steam service from Birmingham Snow Hill in 1967. Alas, Earl of Ducie was not so fortunate, and was cut up at Swindon in November 1954.
The 60th anniversary of the events of May 9, 1964 will be marked in 2024.
A commemorative railtour of the magnitude of ‘Z48’ would be very difficult on the modern railway, but as Vintage Trains proved with its epic non-stop ‘Bristolian’ re-creation of April 17, 2010, anything is possible.
How Tyseley plans to mark the anniversary remains to be seen, but we can be sure Clun Castle will get its moment in the spotlight once again. ■
■ As fate would have it, No. 7029 actually lost its record to Tyseley’s other ‘Castle’ No. 5043 Earl of
Mount Edgcumbe during a ‘Z48’ 50th anniversary commemorative railtour on May 10, 2014. Running between Plymouth and Bristol Temple Meads, No. 5043 slashed more than three minutes off the point-to-point record set by No. 7029, completing the 127.6 miles non-stop in a shade more than 130 minutes, averaging just under 59mph and arriving at Temple Meads 32 minutes early.