Today’s video is an epic, so sit back and enjoy 7 minutes’ worth of Castle thrash! GWR Castle classes 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and 7029 Clun Castle were hauling the doubly named 'Castle Centenarian' and 'Welsh Marches Express' tour from Tyseley on a circular tour to Hereford via Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and the Welsh Marches, then returning via Newport, Gloucester and the Lickey Incline! This tour has seen many alterations done to its route and strikes so it was good to finally see it go ahead. It’s 100 years since the design of these awesome locomotives, and 5043 is my favourite so this was a highly enjoyable day. This run was also historically significant as it's 5043's first assault of the Lickey.
I started out at 07:50 from my local, grabbing a TfW service out of Birmingham up to Wolverhampton, and cycling up to Codsall. I set up there, unfortunately some people further down the platform obscured the view, a 196 rolled in and drowned out the sound, and the sun bleached the quality, so this really wasn't what it could have been despite the Castles' great performance. The Castles were also looking absolutely beautiful. I then caught a service over to Shifnal and set up there, once again the sun was causing me a lot of hassle. Although I got a good shot, the Castles seemed to be taking it easy and I also missed my Birmingham bound service because they were 14 late.
After this I headed back to Birmingham, changing and heading into Barnt Green, from where I cycled out to Vigo Bridge on the Lickey Incline, the steepest gradient on the mainline in Britain, a sustained 2 miles of 1/37 rise. I arrived there at 1pm, with nearly 5 hours' wait in store I did some work and enjoyed the company of ‪@harnettyrailways‬, ‪@blackcountrysteamvideos8021‬, ‪@WestCountrySteamVideos‬, ‪@LiamsLocos‬, ‪@LukeAlfordUKsteam‬, ‪@FlatCapJack52‬ and @jamieleestransporthub! The castles came thrashing up, I could hear them as far away as Stoke Works Jn and passing through Bromsgrove!! Thankfully the 47 was doing nothing, and with a recently wetted railhead, the castles' job was by no means easy, an equivalent load of 14 coaches!! They handled it very well, with 5043 appearing to be doing the lion's share of their assault on the 1 in 37 incline. This was amazing and I'll never forget the incredible noise of the Castle bark but soon after we were drenched in a thunderstorm lol.
The weather was strange today, up to 28* recorded with clear blue skies the whole day, although it became stormy a couple of hours before the castles' arrival. Thanks to Vintage trains, NR, everyone I met and to the drivers of the trains for putting up with our antics as we waited. Thanks particularly to the Castles and their crew, today won't have been easy! Also a massive thanks to whoever decided not to use the 47 - good decision!
I hope you enjoy as I did!
Timestamps:
00:00 Codsall
00:39 Shifnal
01:39 Lickey Incline (turn up the volume!!)