7020 Gloucester Castle

Longshot request -- but here goes -- Back in the early 60's every time I visited 81A Old Oak Common shed in London , after we had visited the roundhouses & works area as we left there was a shed close to the mainline and in it would be 7020 Gloucester Castle , fully coaled & seemed ready to go but never in steam. Also in the shed would be a new western class diesel.
My question has always been why was the castle there ? - clean, coaled , ready but never in steam - First thought was standby loco - but cold < it would take hours to fire up .
Does anyone from that era know why it was there - I visited perhaps twice a year from 62 onward -- thanks

 

You might want to try the GWR Elist, http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/gwr-elist/ with this one if you get no positive reply.

Best regards

Julian Evers

 

Yes, not that longshot, this loco along with 4098 Kidwelly Castle was stored in what was (and still is?) known as the "Pullman Shed" at 81A. I don't think 4098 ever ran again (withdrawn 12/63) but all of a sudden on New Year's Day 1964, 7020 appeared at Reading on an up parcels train. Thereafter it was a regular performer on various duties including Worcester expresses until withdrawal, in Sept 1964 from Southall I believe. Although I was only a 14 year old schoolboy at the time, I remember it like yesterday. Hope this helps.

 

Could you quote some dates when you visited Old Oak Common and saw 7020 out of steam?

From what I recall of the place the shed close to the main line was normally used for stabling coaching stock. In the 1960s I believe it was occasionally used to house engines which were temporarily surplus to traffic requirements but which had not actually been withdrawn. That may be the most likely explanation.

 

Not sure about the OP but I visited 81A during the last half of 1963 & early 1964.

 

Thanks folks for the helpful replies - thought this would just die ! -- Seems reasonable to be surplus to traffic , glad one of you saw it running again , so guess I can sleep easier after all these years of wondering why. If any other explanations come to mind please feel free to jump in .
Will have to wade through all the old notebooks to see the dates - on the to do list .

Thanks Richard

 

I have notes of 7020 working the 11.15a.m. Paddington to Worcester and 3.10p.m. return on 11th April 1964, and the 3.15p.m. from Paddington to Worcester, returning to Acton on 10p.m. fitted freight, on 27th April.

 

I was seaching for another Castle and found this thread, then on another search soon after I found this photo. Hopefully the OP is still on here and will find this shot interesting as it would appear to confirm his memory of his visits to OOC. .

 

Hey , there it is , just as I remember it 7020 and fully coaled but not in steam and the Western in there as well.....Many thanks Ganderson 888 ...you just made my day / week / year ...lol......that was a quick resolution to my observation ...only 11 years ..lol ....so the next question if anyone knows , what was it doing there ..someone suggested surplus to requirements ...maybe

 

The origin of many strategic reserve stories. A fully coated up castle sitting in a shed...

 

Wonder what it's coated with? Some magic formula that makes it invisible?

Peter

 

Just a question to readers ..how many others noted that 7020 was in the shed........and were other Castles put in there beside 4098 ?