7027 Thornbury Castle

Are there subtleties to the weight limits? The Hall is presumably worst for hammer blow, and the Castle heaviest, whilst the 94s driving wheels (with most hammer blow?) are lighter than the trailing ones.

 

Could someone please advise me of the meaning of the Route Availability colours on the Western? For those of us who don't speak GWR, but have used RA in our working lives, it would be nice to know what they mean.
TIA.
Pat

 

I suspect if you try: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_Power_and_Weight_Classification and scroll down to the Weight Restriction section you might get what you want.

 

GWR route availability map, and here is the full picture:

http://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk/article/gwr-route-availability-map-worcester/634

Best regards

Julian

 

Peter and Julian,
Thanks for those links. The GWR documents are a window into a vanished world.
No direct equivalence between GWR and BR (ex-LNER) systems, I notice. (And neither quite match the UIC system. OT, sorry!)
Pat

 

Indeed, although its worth noting that being able to run his engines on the WSR is entirely dependent on that line regaining its red status which looks like costing the WSR a fair few bob.

 

GCR Twitter feed states Thornbury Castle will be restored there.

Will copy wording in a few minutes.

 

This is from GCR website.

Under the sale and purchase agreement, the Great Western locomotive is to be restored at the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire and will run there for the duration of its next 10-year ticket.

The new owner, who is a significant supporter of the GCR, has confirmed that it will not be made available for any mainline operation. It requires significant restoration which will be carried out at the Great Central’s locomotive works in Loughborough under the watchful eye of their Chief Engineer, Craig Stinchcombe.

The loco... will be transported by road to Loughborough during week commencing 27th January.

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/2020/01/7027-thornbury-castle-comes-to-gcr/

 

Hopefully this will finally mean some good news for the old girl.

 

Fantastic news. And this probably means there will be a castle available for railways to hire in at galas. Its not too often that has happened in recent years.

 

I have much faith that 7027 will finally come together at GCR.
The pieces of metal that survive of 7027 have moved around quite a bit over the years. I may have missed some out but from a quick search, on leaving Barry in 1972, 7027 joined class mates at Tyseley and when I first saw them there, I was of the opinion that 5043 was the most incomplete hulk with 7027 looking more likely to return to steam.
I then stumbled on 7027 at Buckfastleigh in the summer of 1990 and again at the Crewe Heritage Centre / Rail Fayre in August 1995. She may have moved elsewhere before journeying on to Bridgewater & Williton.
Good luck to Craig and the team at Loughborough.

 

There will be two with 4079.

 

She went to Peak Rail between Crewe and WSR.

Hopefully she can now benefit from someone just quietly getting on with restoring her rather than just making much publicly but not doing a great deal, she has been a Cinderella engine for a long time.

 

I read in the Beano this summer that the previous owner JJP was deadly serious on restoring this machine, so much so he personally painted the boiler with Craftmaster mid-chrome green. Guess the old 'paint the wreck' restoration was not deemed successful?

 

Excellent news - but a lot of hard work for Craig and team.

 

Two Castles, a King and a Star!

 

It's nearly 48 years ago that this engine left Woodhams and for an engine that folk have intended to restore over this period of time may well have received more than one coat of protecting metal with paint as well as smartening up to aid in drawing attention for funding. Many locos that remained at Barry into the 1980s received paint coats of many colours but not this one, the 23rd to depart and the longest by some distance in remaining unrestored.

 

Lady of Legend will likely become a star-performer on heritage lines but not sure about a true Star class being available for hire.

 

Fair point. I'll refrain from excusing myself through any suggestion that all GWR engines look quite similar