GWR 7027 Thornbury Castle
7027 Thornbury Castle undergoing restoration at Weston-super-Mare, 2016
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerCharles Collett
BuilderBR Swindon Works
Build dateAugust 1949
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.045 m)
Length65 ft 2 in (19.86 m) over buffers
Width8 ft 11 in (2.718 m)
Height13 ft 1 in (3.988 m) (Cut back from 13 ft 4+1⁄2 in (4.077 m))
Loco weight79 long tons 17 cwt (178,900 lb or 81.1 t)
89.4 short tons full
Tender weight47 long tons 6 cwt (106,000 lb or 48.1 t)
53.0 short tons full
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity6 long tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb or 6.1 t)
6 long tons 0 hundredweight (6.10 t; 6.72 short tons)
Water cap.4,000 imp gal (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area29.36 sq ft (2.728 m2)
BoilerGWR Standard Number 8
Boiler pressure225 lbf/in2 (1.55 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Tubes1,857.7 sq ft (172.59 m2) (Collett)
1,799.5 sq ft (167.18 m2) (Hawksworth)
 • Firebox162.7 sq ft (15.12 m2) (Collett)
163.5 sq ft (15.19 m2) (Hawksworth)
CylindersFour (two inside, two outside)
Cylinder size16 in × 26 in (406 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearInside cylinders: Walschaerts
Outside cylinders: derived from inside cylinders via rocking bars.
Valve typePiston valves
Loco brakeVacuum
Performance figures
Maximum speed25mph - (heritage railways) 45mph - (mainline, tender first) 75mph - (mainline, chimney first)
Tractive effort31,625 lbf (140.68 kN)
Career
OperatorsBritish Railways
Power classGWR: D
BR: 7P
Axle load classGWR: Red
WithdrawnDecember 1963
Current ownerGreat western society
DispositionUnder restoration

7027 Thornbury Castle was built in August 1949. Its first shed allocation was Plymouth Laira. Its March 1959 shed allocation was Old Oak Common. Its last shed allocation was Reading. It was withdrawn in December 1963 and arrived at Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales in May 1964. The locomotive was not scrapped and was being restored in 2022.

Preservation

7027 was sold to the then Birmingham Railway Museum and left as the 23rd departure from Barry in August 1972. After being purchased by Pete Waterman's Transport Trust, she was stored outside the Crewe Heritage Centre in her Barry Scrapyard condition. Some parts of 7027 are currently in use on elder sibling 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and one set of name and number plates for 7027 are mounted on a wall of the main hall of The Castle School in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire. Following the removal of Waterman's railway equipment from the former LNWR site in 2016, she was moved to Peak Rail in April 2016.

In July 2016, 7027 was purchased from the Waterman Trust for an undisclosed sum by Jon Jones-Pratt, owner of 4936 Kinlet Hall and the revived Crosville Motor Services, who plans to restore the engine to full mainline standards.[1] Restoration started at the Crosville depot in Weston-super-Mare. In February 2018, agreement was reached between the West Somerset Railway and Jon Jones-Pratt for 7027 Thornbury Castle to be moved to Williton, to be restored there over a six-year period.[2] In January 2020 no 7027 was once again sold on with plans to be restored to working order. 7027 was sold from Jon Jones-Pratt to a private individual who intended to restore the engine for use at the Great Central Railway. The engine was then planned not be mainline certified on completion.[3]

An April 2020 report stated that restoration had started; the project was headed up by the chief mechanical engineer of Great Central Railway, Craig Stinchcombe.[4] Reports and photographs posted in 2022 indicated that restoration was well underway.[5]

In August 2022, the future restoration of Thornbury Castle was called into question when the Great Western Society's 4709 Group bought the locomotive with the intention of donating the boiler to their project to re-create a GWR 4700 Class.[6][7][8] Thornbury Castle's chassis and other components were to be used to recreate a GWR Star class locomotive, and eventually rebuilding it back into Thornbury Castle when a No. 7 or No. 8 boiler would be available in the future.[9][10] However, in September of 2022, those plans were cancelled.[11][12][13] The GWS also stated that Thornbury Castle could be rebuilt in its own right if someone buys the spare parts.[14]

In May 2023 The Railway Magazine reported that the use of the Castle's boiler for the Night Owl project had been confirmed in an announcement on 24 April by Richard Croucher of the 4709 Group. As a result the magazine reported savings of £500,000 would be made by the project and it would see a time saving of five years.

References

  1. ↑ "Thornbury Castle to steam in six years". Steam Railway. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  2. ↑ West Somerset Railway PLC/JJP Holdings South West LTD/ West Somerset Railway Association. "THORNBURY CASTLE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE MOVES TO WEST SOMERSET FOR FULL RESTORATION" (PDF) (Press release).
  3. ↑ Holden, Michael (23 January 2020). "Steam locomotive 7027 Thornbury Castle set for Great Central Railway restoration". Rail Advent. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Last Chance for 7027?". Press Reader. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "7027 Thornbury Castle". FB. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "4709 Group buys Thornbury Castle — 4709 – The Ultimate British 2–8–0". 4709 – The Ultimate British 2–8–0. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "4709 Group purchases Great Central Railway-based steam locomotive 7027 Thornbury Castle". RailAdvent. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "7027 THORNBURY CASTLE | Didcot Railway Centre". didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  9. ↑ Perton, Paul (15 August 2022). "Breathing new life into Thornbury Castle — 4709 – The Ultimate British 2–8–0". 4709 – The Ultimate British 2–8–0. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  10. ↑ Jones, Robin (30 August 2022). "Thornbury Castle sold to 'Night Owl' project - and may be a Star". Retrieved 18 January 2023 – via PressReader.
  11. ↑ Holden, Michael (26 September 2022). "Great Western Society to 'consider' offers for steam locomotive 7027 Thornbury Castle". RailAdvent. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "GWS: No 'Star' plans". pocketmags.com. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "7027 Thornbury Castle - 26-Sep-22 | Didcot Railway Centre". didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "'Thornbury Castle could be rebuilt' – only if a group buys its spare parts". 25 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023 – via PressReader.
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