Castle Class Locomotives Gallery

Castle Class, No. 7029, Clun Castle at Newton Abbot Station, c.1950s

A view of Castle Class, No. 7029, Clun Castle at Newton Abbot Station, Devon, c.1950s.
The station opened with the name Newton in December 1846 by the South Devon Railway Company. By the time the name was changed to Newton Abbot in 1877 the station had a large goods shed, train sheds and busy workshops which helped with converting the stock and line to standard gauge.
Newton Abbot station underwent an extension and rebuild between the wars, opening in April 1927 with a Culverhouse designed station building

© STEAM Museum of the GWR

Locomotive 4096, Highclere Castle with its wartime black out screen, c.1940

A train speeding through the countryside at night was a prime target for the German Luftwaffe. The glow from the locomotive firebox and light from the carriages made a train all too visible to the enemy. One of the blackout measures introduced by the GWR was the anti-glare screen. This image of Castle Class locomotive, Highclere Castle, shows an anti-glare screen attached to the cab roof and tender. During daylight the screen could be rolled back and, should an air raid be called, it could be quickly pulled back over the cab. This screen only covered the roof of the cab, but some screens covered the sides too

No 4082, Windsor Castle, hauling the funeral train of King George VI, February 1952

A view of locomotive No 4082, Windsor Castle, hauling the funeral train of King George VI, at Paddington staiton, in February 1952.
The locomotive in the picture is actually No 7013, Bristol Castle, but the nameplates were swapped for the preferred Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle at this time was in Swindon Works for an overhaul

© STEAM Museum of the GWR