WHITE ROSE TO YORK RAILTOUR with Clun Castle - Saturday 7th September

Newly restored Tyseley flagship locomotive No. 7029 'Clun Castle' will make it's first visit to York in 30 years. The route will take us from the West Midlands, via Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent, diverting along the Erewash Valley and stopping at newly re-opened Ilkeston station.

The ever-popular city of York has many attractions for the day visitor as well as the Christmas shopper looking for the perfect gift. If shopping isn’t for you, inside York’s three miles of city walls there is evidence of Roman, Viking and Medieval history, mixed with classic architecture from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Why not visit the Gothic splendour of York Minster with its Rose Window, the Castle Museum, the National Railway Museum (free entry) or the Jorvik Viking Experience to name just a few. Alternatively, boat trips are available on the River Ouse, or you can pre-book an open-top bus tour or simply browse around the medieval shopping streets of Stonegate and The Shambles.

GWR No. 7029 - CLUN CASTLE

‘Clun Castle’ was built in the former Great Western Railway works at Swindon in 1950 as part of the last batch of Castle Class locomotives ordered by British Railways. The Castle Class locomotives were first introduced in 1923 and were built for hauling express passenger trains on the Great Western Railway such as ‘The Bristolian’ and ‘The Cheltenham Flyer’.

The Castle Class was one of the most successful and prolific steam locomotive designs built in Britain, eventually numbering 171 in total. The first in the class was No: 4073 ‘Caerphilly Castle’ which was exhibited in the British Empire Exhibition in 1924, alongside another iconic British steam locomotive of the day, ‘Flying Scotsman’.

On 9th May, 1964 ‘Clun Castle’ broke the record for a steam locomotive over the Devon Banks from Plymouth to Bristol; a record that was held for 50 years until the time was beaten by another Castle Class locomotive, Clun’s stable-mate at Tyseley and older sister No: 5043 ‘Earl of Mount Edgcumbe’. After touring throughout England to mark the end-of-steam, in 1967 ‘Clun Castle’ was purchased from British Railways by a group led by Mr Patrick Whitehouse for the scrap value of £3,600.00. The loco was placed in trust and subsequently moved to the former steam depot at Tyseley, Birmingham where the loco has resided for 50 years and become the foundation of the ‘7029 Clun Castle Limited’ charitable trust.

‘Clun Castle’ hauled the last steam train from London Paddington, the last through train on the GWR’s route north from Birmingham to Birkenhead, and the very last train from Birmingham Moor Street station prior to closure.