The 10th - 11th May saw Vintage Trains promote a multi-day excursion, marking the 60th Anniversary of the Ian Allan 'Great Western High Speed' railtour, better known as '1Z48'. Running from London Paddington to Plymouth and return, the tour would act as a swansong for steam on the Western Region, as well as mark the then 60th Anniversary of the infamous speed record set by 'City of Truro'. One of the locos rostered for the trip, on the 9th May 1964, was GWR Castle No. 7029 'Clun Castle', which hauled the train from Plymouth to Bristol. In addition, the loco would break the record for the fastest non stop run on this route, reaching a speed of 96mph on the descent of Wellington Bank, on the outskirts of Taunton. Incidentally, this was the same location that 'City of Truro' was reported to have reached 100mph, back in 1904!
Just over 60 years later, in 2024, the 4-6-0 would return to the West Country for the first time since the 1980s, at the head of the 'Great Western Railway (1Z48)' railtour. Beginning on Friday 10th May, the train would depart Birmingham Snow Hill for the journey to Plymouth, via Oxford, Swindon and Bristol. The following day would see 'Clun' travel from Plymouth to London Paddington, via Exeter, Bristol, Swindon and Reading. This would be the first time that the loco had been seen at Paddington since 1965! The train would return to Birmingham behind Class 47 No. 47773.
This sequence showcases the tour on Saturday 11th May, on the journey to Paddington. Having switched to the relief lines just east of Didcot, 7029 is seen passing South Moreton, filmed from the bridge on Dunsomer Hill.
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