5th May 2022

Comprehensive list of GW HST PC's
Guy Vincent

43172 Tiverton Castle Nameplate. Taken at at Bristol Temple Meads on the 29th April 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent.

Castle Class HST Power Car Fleet & Naming Update 04th May 2022

Time for a well overdue update to the list of GWR operated 'Castle Class' class 43 power cars that was first published on the CRS site on 15th February 2020.    Since then further power cars have been added to the fleet, no withdrawals have taken place and all bar one of the original names have been applied with a further name added!

Here then is the full list with naming dates where known or first reported as named.   All PC's carry GWR Green livery.

43004  Caerphilly Castle (applied 16.12.2019)
43005 St Michael's Mount (applied at Laira 11.01.2022)   
43009
43010
43016 Powderham Castle (reported 28.01.2022)
43022
43027
43029
43040 
43041 St Catherine's Castle (09.10.2019)
43042 Tregenna Castle (29.01.2020)
43088
43092 Cromwell's Castle (25.09.2019)
43093 Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018 plus Legends of the GWR vinyls
43094 St Mawes Castle (06.01.2020)
43097 Castle Drogo (reported on 06.06.2020,  name replaced 'Environment Agency' previously carried)
43098 Walton Castle (10.02.2020)
43122 Dunster Castle (05.02.2020)
43153 Chun Castle (19.10.2019)
43154 Compton Castle (20.01.2020)
43155 Rougemont Castle ((12.01.2022)
43156 
43158 Kingswear Castle (05.02.2020)
43160 Castle-an-Dinas (reported 24.04.2022)
43162
43170 Chepstow Castle (13.11.2019)
43171 Raglan Castle (NEW NAME reported 03.05.2022)
43172 Tiverton Castle  (21.04.2022)   NEW NAME   (PC formerly named Harry Patch in WW1 livery)
43186 Taunton Castle (19.12.2019)
43187 Cardiff Castle (reported named at Laira on 11.01.2022)
43188 Newport Castle (reported 04.05.2020)
43189 Launceston Castle (13.11.2019)
43192 Trematon Castle (reported 20.03.2020)
43194 Okehampton Castle (14.09.2019)
43198 Driver Brian Cooper / Driver Stan Martin.  Recently overhauled & returned to service after long period stopped

The only name not yet used from the original series of 24 is Berry Pomeroy Castle.  Raglan & Tiverton Castles are new additions to the set.  Will we see Bristol Castle added to the list as it sits squarely on the route served by these trains?

Since the Feb 2020 report the following PC's have been added to the fleet bringing the total in use by GWR to 35.
43009 010 022 027 029 088 156 160 162 171 172


Several class 43 PCs are at Laira for component recovery to enable the fleet to remain in service for as long and as economically as possible.   These are 43063 069 078 086 087 091 161 180 193 195 196 197

Power cars stored at Ely, Cambs.  43017 020 023 024 025 165 174 190 191  

Former GW-operated PC's now in preservation are 43002 (NRM York)   43018 (The Railway Age Crewe)   43056 (Gwili Railway)   43071 (Colne Valley Railway)  43159 (The 125 Group, Ruddington)

Former GW-operated PC's that have been scrapped are: 43011 019 053 070 079 140 173

Scot Rail now operate 43003 012 015 021 026 028 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 124-139 141-152 163 164 168 169 175 176 177 179 181 182 183    43030 was damaged in the Stonehaven derailment in August 2020. 43185 is at Kilmarnock for spares recovery.  

To conclude this feature I thought I would add the small group of class 57/6 locomotives that are used to power the overnight 'sleeper' services between Paddington and Penzance as these carry 'Castle' names.

57602 Restormel Castle            57603 Titagel Castle       57604 PENDENNIS CASTLE (Brass plates with capitals used throughout, loco in 'classic' GWR green)                 57605 Totnes Castle

With regards

Guy Vincent   4th May 2022

Many many thanks Guy - only you know how long it took you to compile this extensive and very up to date list of Power cars etc. Please be assured that your efforts are very much appreciated.
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Wandering Tractor
Creech
Bill Elston

A rare visitor to Taunton today (4th May 2022) was Regional Railways-liveried 37425  Sir Robert MacAlpine, working from Crewe to Taunton and then onward to
Worcester Shrub Hill. Seen here passing Creech.

Cheers, Bill Elston.

37425 Sir Robert MacAlpine. Seen at Creech. 4th May 2022b Copyright Bill Elston

Many thanks Bill - I like the 37's i this livery.
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​Yet another Mark 4 Coaching Stock Movement
Charlotte & Guy Vincent

Today (4th May) 37884 was stabled at Westbury during the morning, having arrived light as 0V82 2035 from Wembley (via Swindon & Melksham)  late on 3rd.  Around midday the loco set off to Eastleigh, returning at 1640 with a set of debranded Grand Central Mk 4 coaches and a DVT and running as 5Q42 1512 Eastleigh - Crewe CS via Bath, the Severn Tunnel and Hereford / Shrewsbury.  The full formation was 12224 12477 12326 10321 11320 82200 (set GC02).  Charlotte captured the afternoon working at Westbury while I was at Bradford-on-Avon where it made a fine sight (and sound!) indeed.   Last week the same set of stock was out over two nights undergoing high-speed testing on the GWML with 67008 in push-pull mode.  

With regards, Guy Vincent.

PS re the Wembley-Eastleigh working that came through Westbury hauled by 57306 on Monday 2nd.  I gather that on the night of 3rd 57306 was used on the down sleeper service from Paddington to Penzance so may have been seen by one of your contributors.

Westbury 37884 4th May 2022 Copyright Charlotte Vincent

Westbury Down Reception Line 37884 0O86 1210 Westbury - Eastleigh. 4th May 2021 Copyright Charlotte Vincent

Westbury P1 37884 5Q42 15.12 Eastleigh - Crewe CS 4th May.2022 Copyright Charlotte Vincent

Westbury P1 5Q42 15.12 Eastleigh Crewe CS DVT 82200 4th May .2022 Copyright Charlotte Vincent

Bradford on Avon 37884 12224 12477 12326 10321 11320 82200 5Q42 15.12 ESL Crewe 4th May 2022. Copyright Guy Vincent

Many thanks to you Guy for the masses of detail and your daughter Charlotte for her work with the camera.
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