Great Western Railway
© Don Marshall 2010
ELEGANT STEAM
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Castle Class - No 5018 St Mawes Castle. This locomotive was built in 1932 and was part of a class of 171 locomotives built from 1923 to 1950. They were designed by Charles Collett CME of the Great Western Railway and were direct descendants of the Churchward Star Class. They were a highly successful class and handled all but the heaviest of the main line express services. The King Class handled the latter but were route restricted.
During the locomotive exchanges in the twenties the Castle class showed a superiority over the LNER and LMS express
locomotives which impelled the LMS Board to ask the GWR Board to build some for them. The GWR Board declined, so the LMS headhunted Stanier from the GWR instead. The LNER hurriedly improved the design of their A3 Class Pacifics. After all, a Pacific is always going to be more efficient than a 4-6-0, isn't it ? Or is it ? Not so, in the case of the Castle Class.
A highly recommended book is J W Street's "I Drove the Cheltenham Flyer" which vividly describes life as a Castle and King Class driver.
During the locomotive exchanges in the twenties the Castle class showed a superiority over the LNER and LMS express
locomotives which impelled the LMS Board to ask the GWR Board to build some for them. The GWR Board declined, so the LMS headhunted Stanier from the GWR instead. The LNER hurriedly improved the design of their A3 Class Pacifics. After all, a Pacific is always going to be more efficient than a 4-6-0, isn't it ? Or is it ? Not so, in the case of the Castle Class.
A highly recommended book is J W Street's "I Drove the Cheltenham Flyer" which vividly describes life as a Castle and King Class driver.