7029 Clun Castle: 10 Minutes Of Great Western Glory - 2019
A short compilation of Tyseley's flagship locomotive, British Railways built Castle Class 4-6-0 No.7029 'Clun Castle'. This video covers four of her runs undertaken between April and June of this year. Fittingly, we start off with her inaugural run, on April 6th, marking her official return to main line service for the first time since the 1980s! Titled as 'The Cotswold Explorer', this run took the Castle from Dorridge to Oxford and back, running outward via Cheltenham and Swindon, then back via Evesham. We kick off the action at Sapperton Tunnel, where we eagerly awaited the sight and sound of Clun attacking Sapperton Bank, for the first time since 1985. She didn't disappoint, as she barked her way up the final winding section of 1 in 60 towards the tunnel. Truly, a sight to behold! Our next shot, sees her at Chipping Campden, running back to Dorridge, along the Cotswold Line.
The following two shots see her on May 18th, working another 'Cotswold Explorer'. Once again, she is seen working hard up Sapperton Bank, viewed this time from one of the two foot crossings at Frampton Mansell. Another fine show! Much like the previous run, the return leg sees us on the Cotswold Line. This time, we see Clun at Fawler, running along the single track section between Wolvercote Junction and Charlbury.
A fast shot now, as 7029 is captured at Bredon, just north of Ashchurch. Filmed on May 25th, she was working 'The Welsh Marches Express' from Dorridge to Hereford, via Gloucester, then back via Shrewsbury. A further two shots were planned after this, as she was due to run another 'Cotswold Explorer' on June 1st. That run, however, was unfortunately cancelled.
The final three shots see her working in Oxfordshire on June 15th, in conjunction with 175th anniversary celebrations along the Oxford to Didcot line. This day saw her working two different railtours, one running from Solihull to Oxford and back, called 'The Oxford 175 Express', while the other was a circular luncheon tour, running to and from Oxford Parkway. This ran south along the Cherwell Valley Line, then east along the Great Western Main Line, north along the Chiltern Main Line then, finally, back west along the Bicester to Oxford line.
Having missed the run down to Oxford, as I was otherwise engaged with filming Flying Scotsman heading to Worcester - see here: - we start off at the footbridge, just south of Kennington Junction. 7029 is seen in fine form, as she storms away from Oxford with the luncheon train. After having some luncheon ourselves, we headed on over to Oddington, where the sun makes a miraculous appearance, after we'd endured nearly an hour of torrential rain. Our final shot, captures 7029 at the pretty location of Tackley, working back to Solihull with the return leg of 'The Oxford 175 Express'. This was another moment of good fortune, as not 5 minutes before her appearance, the light was completely gone and we were caught in yet another heavy rain shower, although not as long as at Oddington, fortunately!
Filmed on a Panasonic VXF990 with a Pro Sound L92AA microphone.
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Walking in Shropshire: Exploring Clun Castle
I apologise that the sound only comes out of the left channel!
Clun Castle lies buried deep in the south Shropshire Hills surrounded by the river of the same name and the smallest of the counties towns. I am out exploring the remains of the castle on a bleak October morning.
I am Richard Vobes, the Bald Explorer, exploring Britain. Check out my website at:
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Clun Castle, Clun, Shropshire
Clun Castle, Shropshire, slideshow
Clun Castle, Shropshire video
Welsh Border castle, originally built in the 1100’s by Norman, Robert de Say as a wooden motte and bailey style. rebuilt out of stone in the 13th century and lay in ruins since the english civil war in the 1600's. The site is open to the public, managed by English Heritage.
for more information visit.
Clun Castle (England)
Tour of Clun Castle - 26/9/15
Music is 13th century Medieval traditional
Clun Castle is a ruined castle in the small town of Clun, Shropshire. Clun Castle was established by the Norman lord Robert de Say after the Norman invasion of England and went on to become an important Marcher lord castle in the 12th century, with an extensive castle-guard system. Owned for many years by the Fitzalan family, Clun played a key part in protecting the region from Welsh attack until it was gradually abandoned as a property in favour of the more luxurious Arundel Castle. The Fitzalans converted Clun Castle into a hunting lodge in the 14th century, complete with pleasure gardens, but by the 16th century the castle was largely ruined. Slighted in 1646 after the English Civil War Clun remained in poor condition until renovation work in the 1890s.
Further reading via Wikipedia:
Clun Castle and Flying Scotsman crossover 15 June 2019
Two rail tours at once! Clun Castle on a turning manoeuvre returning to Oxford, and Flying Scotsman heading to Paddington. Filmed at the Devils Backbone bridge, Hinksey.
7029 'Clun Castle' Awakens Leamington Spa ! The Bath Xmas Market !
Great Western Castle class '7029' makes for a spectacular sight as it powers it's way through Leamington Spa on a Sunday morning as it head's an early Christmas special to Bath ! The train is firstly seen climbing steadily out of it's home depot at Tyseley !
After a quiet November on our front, we now look towards the remaining steam specials in December !
I hope you enjoy the video.
Clun Castle at Oxford and speeding through Saunderton 15 June 2019
7029 Clun Castle celebrating 175 years of the Didcot to Oxford GWR branch line with a lunchtime circular tour. Filmed on a blustery day (and endless problems with cameras/mic/tripod) so please excuse the wobbly shots near the beginning.
Clun Castle barks out of Moor street
Turn the volume up for this
7029 Clun Castle barks out of Moor Street on the run round to Snow Hill
Shakespeare Express 21/7/19
7029 'Clun Castle' Hauling The Gloucester Goes Retro Tour - 24/08/19
Gloucester Goes Retro tour filmed at Gloucester Station, and with a couple of freight workings. Hauled by Clun Castle & 47773.
The tour operated by Vintage Trains, running from Dorridge to Gloucester and return. Filmed on the 24th of August 2019. Thanks for watching.
7029 Clun Castle attacks Llanvihangel Bank with the first Welsh Marches Express of 2019 - 25/05/2019
Tyseley’s finest Clun Castle once again in action on the main line, this time hauling the first Welsh Marches Express of 2019 and also the first trip over the Welsh Marches since the 1980s. The Welsh Marches Express has become one of the most popular railtour that Vintage Trains operate due to the nature of the route, but also the destination of Hereford offers a variety for the passengers. The trip was to go outward via Worcester and Gloucester before returning in the evening via Wolverhampton. The event was on the same day as the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s annual Cotswold of Festival Steam Gala, but I decided to go for the Castle trip as the highlight of her trip was the climb up Llanvihangel Bank from Abergavenny.
My first shot was taken at Ladywood between Worcester and Droitwich. I arrived in planet of time and managed to get a good angle as the engine can be seen accelerating away from Droitwich towards her water stop at Worcester. The weather was lovely and even some exhaust from the chimney. The engine was running around 10 mins late due to late running trains in the Stourbridge area, but she sounded as ever majestic. Her load was 10 plus an idle diesel which is a heavy but very capable load for a Castle and she didn’t disappoint.
After a half an hour drive, I went to my next spot which was Bredon near Ashchurch where I arrived with nearly half an hour to spare. The field shot had sheep and baby lambs, but they were nowhere near us at all. The engine made up for lost time, but unfortunately the clouds gathered up just before the engine was due. The Castle thundered along sounding beautiful and having no problems with her heavy load.
My final shot was on Llanvihangel Bank, the highlight of my day’s work. Unfortunately the roadworks on the M50 plus the nightmare traffic at Monmouth meant I had to change my location and arrived with just over 10 minutes to spare. The shot was taken on the foot crossing just after the crossing I filmed the Duchess on The Great Britain XII from. The train was running around 5 mins lateso gave a few extra minutes to get ready.The engine turned up and she sounded well, but perhaps the climb did take its toll on her heavy load, plus the diesel (judging by the footage) might have been slightly assisting although by the sounds of it not that much. It was still a good climb but the Castle would definitely do much better up the bank in the near future.
Hope you enjoyed the video. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe for more steam action from Full Steam Ahead.
7029 Clun Castle, The Christmas White Rose, York, 14th December 2019
The second railtour, also named, 'The Christmas White Rose'.
This one operated by Vintage Trains and hauled by 7029 Clun Castle is seen arriving at York from Dorridge as 60163 Tornado is reversing back through the station from the NRM.
After detaching and leaving the empty coaching stock in platform 10 for the after noon, the Castle heads off to the NRM for coaling and servicing.
Later she passes back through the station to be turned, before returning and reversing onto the train.
Finally, departing for Dorridge at 18.05.
Class 47 diesel, 47773 (D1755 ) is on the rear.
14th December 2019
GWR 7029 - Clun Castle's Mainline Return - Loaded Test Run (2019)
Finally we see the return of Great Western action on the mainline in the form of 7029 'Clun Castle. The recently overhauled Castle Class is seen on it's loaded test run as it's bids for form ahead of a busy Vintage Trains tour programme. If the run is declared a success 7029 will haul it's inaugural run to Worcester in Seven days time.
I hope you enjoy return of a GWR Icon.
7029 'Clun Castle' Hauling The Welsh Marches At Hereford - 25/05/19
Three railtours filmed at multiple locations, on the 25th May 2019.
7029 'Clun Castle' hauling The Welsh Marches by Vintage Trains, filmed at Hereford, arriving and departing. 47773 also included.
The Retro Devon Seasider hauled by BR large logo 37407 + DRS 37059, filmed at Both Severn Tunnel Junction, and Abergavenny. By Retro Railtours.
47832 + 57601 hauling The Northern Belle, filmed at both Severn Tunnel Junction, and Newport.
Thanks for watching.
7029 Clun Castle White Rose 7th September 2019
GWR 4-6-0 Castle Class no 7029 Clun Castle enters to Pontefract Baghill Railway Station on platform 1 with the White Rose from Dorridge to stop for some water on very sunny and cloudy day before departing for York. Hope you enjoy this footage.
GWR 7029 'Clun Castle' returns to York on 'The White Rose' - 07/09/2019
GWR Collett 'Castle' 4-6-0 7029 'Clun Castle' returned to York under it's own power for the first time in over 30 years on Saturday 7th September. The loco had made a previous appearance at the National Railway Museum during Railfest 2008, albeit on static display only. Preserved by Patrick Whitehouse at the newly-established Tyseley Locomotive Works in 1966, 7029 worked tours to all corners of the country until 1988, when it's mainline boiler ticket expired. However, after a long and arduous overhaul, 'Clun Castle' re-steamed at Tyseley in 2017 and returned to action on a shareholders' special from Birmingham to Worcester earlier this year.
'The White Rose' saw 7029 running from Dorridge to York and return, via Solihull, Tyseley, Coleshill Parkway, Tamworth, Ilkeston, Chesterfield and Pontefract Baghill. In this video, we first see the 'Castle' at Dikki Bridge in Holgate Sidings,arriving into York slightly ahead of schedule. After a dash down to the station, we admire the big green beast with some close-ups of the trademark GWR lashings of brass and copper. Later in the evening, we see 7029 (with Tyseley's BR Class 47 47773 on the rear) blast out of York a little behind time bound for the West Midlands.
As an added bonus, we also find WCRC's SR Bullied 'Merchant Navy' 4-6-2 35018 'British India Line', being coaled on the atrium of the National Railway Museum in preparation for the following day's 'Waverley' railtour from York to Carlisle and return. I wished the locomotive well as it had failed with injector troubles two days previously on the final 'Scarborough Spa Express' of the season.
I hope you all enjoy the video. I had initially wanted to venture further south to capture 7029 at speed, but the good weather and relative quiet at York thankfully turned out alright. Feel free to comment and subscribe!
7029 Clun Castle hauls the Bath Christmas Market through Leamington Spa - a 4K video
A crisp, sunny morning at Leamington Spa station provided a good backdrop for the passing of the Bath Christmas Market railtour hauled by No. 7029 Clun Castle. A signal stop at the junction before the station to allow a service train through provides a further enhancement. I hope you enjoy the video.
Clun Castle Crosses The Anglo-Welsh Border
GWR 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle crosses from Wales to England across Chirk Viaduct hauling the return leg of Vintage Trains 'Chester Venturer'.
preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2019
Clun Castle leaving Wellington Station (Shropshire) for Ironbridge Sunday 9th June 2019
Today two special service's from Shrewsbury to Ironbridge provided by Vintage Trains. This has been penned as the last passenger steam service to Ironbridge at least for now.
44871 & 7029 - A Flawless Five & Clun Castle - Weekday Steam (2019)
Black Five '44871' & 7029 'Clun Castle were both out midweek and within close proximity and with favorable conditions albeit very warm, a nice day was on the cards for all concerned. The Black Five in this video takes all the plaudits due to a great performance up East Sapperton and by all accounts an even better run up Sapperton on the return leg, unfortunately we couldn't capture this as we needed to be closer to Worcester to pick up Clun Castle on the evening dining train. Although we missed out on the 44871's return leg up the Golden Valley we did catch her blasting her way down the long straight away from abbotswood Junction as the locomotive was keen to reach her new cruising limit of 65mph ! The Black Five made a great sound on the long approach where three angles capture the great sight and sound of a Black Five ! 7029 'Clun Castle' is seen at Droitwich Spa and Blakedown on it's round robin trip to Worcester on an evening diner.
It was great to be able to catch these two so close to each other and unusually for us I think 44871 took the honors performance wise, as 7029 was on a gentle meander but still a fine sight nevertheless ! I hope you enjoy.
7029 Clun Castle 21/12/19
7029 Clun Castle storms North through Alfreton station.