©Steam Library: Ex-GWR ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 No. 5029 ‘Nunney Castle’

Ex-GWR ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 No. 5029 ‘Nunney Castle’ darkens an already threatening sky as it struggles to reach the summit of the 1 in 42 Hemerdon bank out of Plymouth with the return leg of the ‘Cornishman’ railtour from Bristol to Par and return on 10th July 2011. Introduced by Collett in 1923, the ‘Castle’ Class was the Great Western Railway’s general purpose main line passenger locomotive, examples of which were still built after nationalisation in 1948. The 8 coachs it is hauling here was the maximum load permitted unassisted up this bank for this class of locos in the days of regular steam, but even so its progress here was very slow, reaching the summit at only 8 mph.
©Steam Library 2015

Пікірлер: 76

  • @collinblack8474
    @collinblack84743 жыл бұрын

    I live in Newcastle Australia and we have steep climbs as well. My opinion is that this grade reminds me of how steam locomotives should sound like. Thank you. Love this type of action.👍

  • @irfanqadir869
    @irfanqadir869 Жыл бұрын

    Ex WGR castle is really the champion 🏆🏆🥇 of ♥️🍒 hauling a huge load nice 👍🙂 video 📷 nicely filmed and capture with Fabolous timing

  • @barrysumsion1339
    @barrysumsion13392 жыл бұрын

    Came back from Kingswear behind 5029 a few years ago. She was compromised all the way due to the porridge put in the tender at Paignton. We eventually were forced to stop at Weston-S-Mare to rebuild the fire before reaching Bristol TM about an hour late. Have had some other runs behind her when she has behaved impeccably.

  • @robinnicholson4009

    @robinnicholson4009

    2 жыл бұрын

    So where does this dire coal come from??

  • @clarky2356
    @clarky23567 жыл бұрын

    Wow wee what a performance she done well up that grade

  • @manuelfernandes8994
    @manuelfernandes8994 Жыл бұрын

    Beautiful sound

  • @lloyd9710
    @lloyd97105 жыл бұрын

    Bet that fireman is working hard

  • @sandhopper99
    @sandhopper992 жыл бұрын

    In my tarinspotting days in 1963 to 1965 Nunney was a very regular visitor to Plymouth Laira, despite being allocated to OOC. So its not that it hasn't had practice.

  • @falconoilcompany
    @falconoilcompany7 жыл бұрын

    A wonderful moment

  • @Rosie6857
    @Rosie68578 жыл бұрын

    Castles (and Counties) were allowed 9 on the South Devon Banks and there is a lot of photographic evidence to prove it. Halls and Granges were allowed 8 which leaves little to spare. I have personally witnessed a Hall taking 8 up Dainton East. I've got the picture but alas not the sound. With the present run with Nunney the only conclusion I can come to is that pressure was well down (guess 175 psi) instead of 225. From the sound of it the loco is in full gear from about 1:20 onwards and the driver can do no more. There's not a wisp of steam from the safety valves. Why the steaming was so poor I have no idea. Probably one of the usual reasons. Nunney has done really well more recently.

  • @andrewdarley8988

    @andrewdarley8988

    2 жыл бұрын

    Probably not fed the Welsh steam coal her firebox was built for and which was used by the Western region up to the end of steam (hence the unique tarry smell that marked Paddington from all other London terminals) although by then the quality was deteriorating. The black smoke suggests that either the coal or the firing techniques were unsuited to the fuel.

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@andrewdarley8988 On test, GWR locos did pretty well with non-Welsh coal. I think the problem here is an inexperienced fireman, always a problem in preservation days because they simply don't get the day-to-day practice that BR fireman got. A well-practised fireman would have adjusted his technique according to the fuel. Maybe the coal was no good. There is such a thing as crap Welsh coal and I say that as someone of 100% Welsh ethnicity (if that doesn't sound too pompous) although actually a suburban Londoner. Nunney Castle lives to fight another day - just about.

  • @limeyfox

    @limeyfox

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s interesting to compare this run with last weekend’s ascent by 45596 ‘Bahamas’ with an extra coach and (from speaking to the driver at Plymouth) imported coal of ‘dubious’ quality at best. The double chimney turns the nominally LMS Class 5XP loco into something considerably better - I think the steaming output is thought to be improved by up to 30%? Interesting that BR never distinguished between single and double chimneyed locos in its loading book calculations.

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    Жыл бұрын

    @@limeyfox The double chimney certainly improves the steaming of a loco but mainly at a high rate of evaporation/steaming. In steam days a single-chimney Castle was rostered for 9 up this bank and never failed , to my knowledge, but of course it would have had an experienced fireman. The actual steam rate on climbing Hemerdon is not particularly high but the pressure must be kept right up. With Nunney the steam rate was not high but the pressure was down to about 175 psi (my estimate) and the loco was absolutely flat out. Hate to say it but the fault was the fireman. I really hope he gains experience from this daunting task

  • @Gus0898uk
    @Gus0898uk6 ай бұрын

    Did Plymouth men sign Paddington back in the day? The poor old fireman must have been cream cackered before he got to Newton Abbot. I know most trains were doubled headed but it's still blooming hard work.

  • @collinblack8474
    @collinblack84743 жыл бұрын

    Which is louder single or double chimney? She sounded awesome.

  • @railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf

    @railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf

    2 жыл бұрын

    Single.

  • @barrysumsion1339
    @barrysumsion13392 жыл бұрын

    Look in the tender at 4:25/4:26. That's not what you feed a main line steam engine on!

  • @harryrobinson2901

    @harryrobinson2901

    2 жыл бұрын

    It’s coal. What do you think you feed a mainline steam locomotive on?

  • @barrysumsion1339

    @barrysumsion1339

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@harryrobinson2901 I agree. However what I saw loaded on the tender when coming back from Kingswear had a greater affinity to porridge than a tidy load of coal. Think they kept the good stuff for their own engines.

  • @Thunderer0872
    @Thunderer0872 Жыл бұрын

    Now I am diesel fan, but that is impressive, so do we know on larger trains back in the day, did they attach a banker at North Road or stop near Laira for an assist? Anyway, a great video that I am annoying the neighbours with as much as possible. very impressed.

  • @sansovino4124

    @sansovino4124

    6 ай бұрын

    They would insert a pilot loco between the train engine and the carriages if it was a diesel hauled train, say a Warship, or in front of the train engine if it was steam hauled, to avoid the pilot engine inhaling the soot - often an NBL type 2 was used as pilot.

  • @mikewhitcher6853
    @mikewhitcher68533 жыл бұрын

    Looks like Hamerton Bank

  • @iankemp1131
    @iankemp11312 жыл бұрын

    One wonders whether 8 coaches of this more modern stock - even heritage stock - weight more than 8 typical coaches in GWR/BR steam days. It certainly looked a slow hard slog.

  • @hiyadroogs

    @hiyadroogs

    Жыл бұрын

    She was running well under 225 psi boiler pressure here, for whatever reason. Not even the smallest wisp coming from the safety valves even when she was down to 10 mph. Should have been blowing off furiously by that point with the demand from the front end Decreasing.

  • @johnhickson3472
    @johnhickson34722 жыл бұрын

    Defo in big valve!

  • @johnhickson3472
    @johnhickson34722 жыл бұрын

    I wonder what percent cut-off they're in to come up hemerdon?

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    2 жыл бұрын

    Full gear, 75%, almost without question. And full regulator. This was a close-run thing and in preservation days drivers like to show off but this was just a case of keeping going. In steam days a Castle with 9 would have needed 55-60% or possibly full gear with the regulator not quite fully open. The load limits for all types on the South Devon banks were pretty high and demanded that the boiler pressure was well up.

  • @DeafIaint

    @DeafIaint

    Жыл бұрын

    I wondered that. 50% probably with boiler pressure down

  • @johnjackson1106
    @johnjackson11062 жыл бұрын

    What is the grade she’s climbing? Pls

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    2 жыл бұрын

    The gradient is 1 in 42 up to the curve near the top where it changes to 1 in 51. You can hear the slight acceleration.

  • @johnjackson1106

    @johnjackson1106

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Rosie6857 cheers , yes I noticed the exhaust note change,👍

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johnjackson1106 Probably a great relief to the crew because this was a close-run thing. Foot-on-the floor in bottom gear, in motoring terms.

  • @johnjackson1106

    @johnjackson1106

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Rosie6857 Yes indeed. It was a little bit nail biting just watching. Never mind firing it .

  • @jamesbradford4550
    @jamesbradford45505 жыл бұрын

    How many coaches can a 9f take up that bank?

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    5 жыл бұрын

    (JB) My guess is that they'd be allowed 11. Kings routinely took 11 up the South Devon banks and they have roughly the same tractive effort and steaming capacity as a 9F. I have a log which shows a steady minimum speed of 18 mph with 11 on. This needs a huge amount of steam.

  • @jamesbradford4550

    @jamesbradford4550

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@Rosie6857 I thought 9fs could take maybe 20 coaches up that bank because it has 10 driving wheels, I did see a 9f pull a 2198 ton stone train on a video.

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    5 жыл бұрын

    In that case Castles have 4. Someone has obviously nicked the rear coupling rods. Also it would mean an LMS 2P 4-4-0 could get 8 up the bank whereas in reality I doubt if one of those dreadful things could get itself up the hill, let alone pull a train. In 1906, apparently, a 28XX hauled a 2000-ton train Swindon to London.

  • @anubis6864

    @anubis6864

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@jamesbradford4550 What???? 20 up Hemerdon? You're having a laugh aren't you? That 2198 ton train pulled by a 9F was on level track, not the 1 in 42 for 2½ miles of Hemerdon!

  • @tinkertaylor6965

    @tinkertaylor6965

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Rosie6857 And yet....appearance can be deceptive. The 2Ps worked over the Somerset and Dorset for many years and were the principal motive power for passenger services before the war. According to S&D fireman Peter Smith, they regularly worked 6 bogies over Masbury summit - a notorious seven-mile slog in either decoration, much at around 1 in 50. At the other end of the line, they would haul 240 tons unassisted up Parkstone bank, including a stop in the middle at Parkstone station. Stalling was apparently unheard of!

  • @robinpearn6736
    @robinpearn67366 жыл бұрын

    It isn't struggling son. It's normal working on Hemerdon!

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    6 жыл бұрын

    It's in full gear; you can hear the sharpness of the exhaust. With the full BR-allowed load of 9 it would have stalled as it would have done on Dainton West later in the run. In steam days drivers may well have allowed the speed to fall as low as this one but this is the preservation era and drivers like to show off a bit where they can. With full pressure a speed of 15 mph is quite feasible.

  • @JackJohns2206

    @JackJohns2206

    6 жыл бұрын

    Rosie6857, you talk so much shit it’s unreal.

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    6 жыл бұрын

    That's a bit rude isn't it? Two can play at that game, you'll find.

  • @JackJohns2206

    @JackJohns2206

    6 жыл бұрын

    Rosie6857, you slam every locos performance and suggest it’s bad coal or firing, just be quiet.

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    6 жыл бұрын

    This is a poor performance - no question about that. As a GWR fan I find it embarrassing. Another half mile and it would have stalled. Bad coal or bad firing is exactly the problem, not the engine, so I don't understand your reaction. Maybe you're just a thicko or maybe you should go back to reading Thomas the Tank Engine. Either way you seem to know absolutely fuck all about the performance of steam locos. There you are - I told you two can play at the game of rudeness. Not nice, is it.

  • @tanyajokurnik
    @tanyajokurnik6 жыл бұрын

    Did anyone notice the forest fire???

  • @jimyoung2188
    @jimyoung21886 жыл бұрын

    not an ex GWR loco ,it is a GWR loco running in BR guise

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    5 жыл бұрын

    It's an ex-GWR loco. They built it about 1932.

  • @jimyoung2188
    @jimyoung21886 жыл бұрын

    5043 would have slotted this bank at a far greater rate

  • @user-in4tx5qc2e
    @user-in4tx5qc2e Жыл бұрын

    Beutiful castle sounds just digs in gets in her grove and slogs!! Not one slip!! A bullied southern rubbish would have to be pushed up by a 47!!

  • @Rosie6857

    @Rosie6857

    11 ай бұрын

    @user-4tx5qc2e) Yes, you'd think so but that is a long way from what actually happened. I have a log which shows a West Country (34023) taking 9 (330 tons) up the bank at a steady 23 mph from a stop at Plympton. This needs a huge steam rate and must have been a case of full gear and full regulator. The previous day 34081 took 6 up at a steady 25 mph. The source of this info is "Bulleid's Pacifics" by D.W.Winkworth. I have no reason to doubt the figures because the author is sceptical about the whole class and one chapter is titled "How Bad Were These Engines?"

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