GWR 4073 Class 5051 Earl Bathurst
Encyclopedia
Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of a comprehensive "engine shed" which became redundant after the nationalisation of the UK railways, due to the gradual changeover from steam to diesel motive power.-Description:The...
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It was originally built as Drysllwyn Castle in May 1936. Its first shed allocation was Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
Landore
Landore
Landore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
. Renamed Earl Bathurst
Earl Bathurst
Earl Bathurst, of Bathurst in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1772 for Allen Bathurst, 1st Baron Bathurst. He was a politician and an opponent of Sir Robert Walpole...
in August 1937; the name coming from a de-named GWR Dukedog Class. It was moved to Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
shed in April 1961 before its final move to Llanelly
Llanelly
Llanelly is the name of both a village and its respective parish in Monmouthshire principal area, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, south-east Wales.- Situation :...
in February 1963. It was withdrawn May 1963 after completing 1,300,000 miles. It was acquired by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales in October 1963.
The locomotive was bought by John Mynors from the scrap yard and was sold following his death.
The locomotive was sold to the Great Western Society at Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre
Didcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of a comprehensive "engine shed" which became redundant after the nationalisation of the UK railways, due to the gradual changeover from steam to diesel motive power.-Description:The...
and left as the 4th departure from Barry in March 1969. It was restored in 1979 and regained its former name – Drysllwyn Castle – although it occasionally carries the name of Earl Bathurst. The Earl Bathurst ran from Swansea
Swansea railway station
Swansea railway station is a railway station that serves Swansea, Wales. The station is one of four in the City and County of Swansea and is the fourth busiest in Wales after Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport.-History:...
to London Paddington on St David's Day (1 March 2007) carrying fare-paying passengers (see photo of the event).
The Earl Bathurst is still on display at the Didcot Railway centre.
It was repainted into BR livery but has now been withdrawn due to the expiry of its boiler certificate. It is unlikely to be overhauled for a while due to the current overhauls of 4079 'Pendennis Castle' and 6023 'King Edward II' which will provide the centre with two GWR express locomotives in traffic.
External links
- http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_cas_castle5b.htm
- http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/devonian.html