dibber25 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I took this picture at Reading General around 1964/5. No. 5055 Earl of Eldon was running light engine in the up direction and stopped at Reading for some minutes. At that time 'Castles' were pretty much confined to the Worcester line expresses but this one doesn't look to be in Worcester condition. Does anyone have the allocation details for 5055 during its last year or two in traffic? It was in a very neglected state and had one numberplate, at least, missing. Wish I'd taken more notice of it at the time. (CJL) 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold pheaton Posted August 15, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2017 According to www.greatwestern.org.uk 5055 Earl of Eldon. Originally built as Lydford Castle, June 1936. First shed allocation Old Oak Common. Renamed August 1937. August 1950 shed allocation Old Oak Common. March 1959 shed allocation Newton Abbot. Last shed allocation Gloucester. Withdrawn October 1964. If it was based at gloucester could have been a positioning move for a Padd to Cheltenham train, not sure if the panniers were taking still it on the last leg to cheltenham at this point though.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted August 15, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2017 I saw it running through Cardiff General heading for Radyr with a freight at around this time, in very much this condition. The Cheltenhams were diesel hauled by this time, by Hymeks, and I suspect 5055 is heading upline to pick up a down freight. Many steam locos on the WR were unofficially restricted to freight work, sometimes identified by a chalked F/O on the cabside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pobrien Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I think your photo can be dated between April and October 1964. In this photo 5055 has arrived at Bristol Temple Meads on April 7, 1964, while still allocated to Hereford. https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/6181158630/in/photolist-TvwpiW-SDokF9-fqjfZK-fqjfZe-fqjg1g-fqjfYK-fqjg1H-fqjfYc-dAyGeq-aqd47w The loco has lost its front and cabside number, but has not yet had 5055 painted on the cab as in your photo. On allocation to Gloucester Horton Road 5055 appeared on a number of local passenger trains between Bristol and Gloucester in August 1964. The last occasions I recorded the engine in Bristol were Sat Sep 12 1964. 5M76 21.10 Temple Meads Freight Yard to Oxley Fri Sep 25 1964. 4H60. 21.30. Temple Meads Freight Yard to Worcester It would have been withdrawn soon after. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 17, 2017 Author Share Posted August 17, 2017 Thank you, guys, that's a great help and explains a lot. This must have been one of the last 'Castles' I saw, apart of course, from 4079 and 7029 which were everywhere all the time, for a year or two after the rest were gone. (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted August 17, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 17, 2017 Thank you, guys, that's a great help and explains a lot. This must have been one of the last 'Castles' I saw, apart of course, from 4079 and 7029 which were everywhere all the time, for a year or two after the rest were gone. (CJL) It was also the last 'ordinary' Castle I ever saw, that day at Cardiff General, though it visited Cardiff East Dock a few times as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 18, 2017 Author Share Posted August 18, 2017 I've a real quandary now. I've bought a set of Fox nameplates in order to do up a Hornby 'Castle' but I want George Dent to weather it as in the photo. That means leaving off a couple of the plates and at £21 for the set it seems an awful waste! (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 18, 2017 Author Share Posted August 18, 2017 I kept only a couple of detailed logs of my trainspotting days, both at Iver in summer 1962. Aside from the Worcester line expresses and the odd Weston-super-Mare, and freight and milk trains, there were two 'Castle' sightings that stood out - to me, at least. I should explain that I took the destinations from the carriage roof boards. The times of the trains were filled in during the 1990s by Richard Strange and his colleagues. on 10/8/62 5093 Upton Castle on the 9-coach 2.30pm Pd-Exeter-Plymouth-Penzance. on 17/8/62 5066 Sir Felix Pole on 11-coaches labelled Pdn-Plymouth and Pdn-Falmouth The latter train couldn't be identified. Both, I suspect, were steam substitutions for diesel failures. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Which 'Castle' was it that found itself on a special to Portsmouth, and was impounded at Fratton shed when it was realized it shouldn't have got that far past Salisbury ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pobrien Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Which 'Castle' was it that found itself on a special to Portsmouth, and was impounded at Fratton shed when it was realized it shouldn't have got that far past Salisbury ?? I believe it was this one https://www.flickr.com/photos/bristolsteam/32325210975/in/photolist-Rfta2H-zxoMKC-eGWcBQ-9SnKBp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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