As part of centenary celebrations for ex-Great Western Railway (GWR) Castle Class steam locomotive No. 4079 Pendennis Castle, it is to visit the Churnet Valley Railway at Froghall near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire for the whole of May, courtesy of the Didcot Railway Centre.
Whilst Pendennis Castle is at the Churnet Valley Railway, a rather special gala weekend will be held there to celebrate the locomotive's 100th birthday. Other visiting locomotives will also be in attendance, and details of these will be posted on the railway's website and social media pages as soon as they are known.
The visit of Pendennis Castle is quite remarkable as 46 years ago it was bought by the by the Australian Hamersley Iron Company of Australia and was shipped from the UK to a new life down under.
While in Australia travelled over the rugged Chichester Ranges, and even shared the tracks with the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive which at the time was also on the continent. That recreated a scene that was reminiscent of the 1925 British Empire Exhibition where they were both on display.
Many years before travelling to Australia, in 1925 Pendennis Castle was loaned to the London North Eastern Railway Company for ground-breaking trials on the East Coast Main Line against Sir Nigel Gresley's Pacific locomotives, including the legendary Flying Scotsman.
Pendennis Castle's residence in Australia came to an end in 2000 when it was repatriated by the Didcot Railway Centre and shipped back to the UK. Many years painstaking restoration followed, which was not all straightforward, and included delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At last, in April 2022, Pendennis Castle's restoration was complete and it was ready once to make it mark on railway history by hauling trains on main lines in the UK.
Saw her on a Thursday evening on Swindon outshopped refurbished run-in at Banbury (84C). Every Thursday evening you had a different loco before being assigned back to its home shed. Great for static spotting!
I used to look after her and Scott to at the lovely location of Market Overton before the move to Carnforth I used to help there for a while it was a sad day when market Overton was wound down site is now. An industrial estate we used to run the locos from market Overton to hidyke on east coast main line just north of stoke summit famous for mallards record the line went along mainly industrial lines for about 15miles from market Overton on to the remains of the line that ran from Saxby junction to Bourne theat finished at stainny glebe again onto industrial lines again to join the old Hyde branch to reach the main line it’s down fall was the resignalling of the east coast main line in the early 80s thecdesision was made to move everything that could go by rail as road transport was the killer a lot of items found new homes and some became the foundation of the Rutland railway museum now Rocks by Rail they were great times I saw and met many of they key players of today’s main. Line operators most are now a lot older but where they can still help was 21vat the time now I am in my early 70s alot of things happened in those few short years Elerman lines was the big project we took on for the NRM recorded in an article in the railway world mag by Mr William Devitt who is still very much involved last I heard he was helping Steven Middleton with the north eastern petrol electric rail car a very knowledgeable gentleman we also. Became very involved with the 150 th at shildon we had hoped to take Pendennis Castle there but ageing boiler prevented that that’s another story least said soonest mended very sore point still but nice to see her making up for this discrepancy thanks to the Didcot team
I was a Fireman on that engine and other Castles many times in my 10 years as a footplate member. (many moons ago)
WOOOO LETS GO!!
My thoughts exactly.