7029 'Clun Castle' Goes Full Chat Up The 1/38 Lickey Bank !

In a possible preservation first ? We were treated to the sight and sound of a Great Western Castle class tackle the steepest mainline gradient in the United Kingdom. As we're currently in leaf fall season, the load for unassisted steam up the 1/38 is six coaches ! Coming off the 25mph single line section from Droitwich Spa, the Castle Class rejoins the mainline at Stoke Works and now has less than 2 miles to get up to speed, 63 mph was attained through the station and the sound of Clun Castle roaring towards of us was magical ! Clun Castle crested the summit at 33mph !
Having blasted through Bromsgrove at the bottom of the bank we then witness Clun romping up the 1/38 in fine style. Two angles capture this and this is followed by a shot of the back up class 20, which was running light engine in case there was an issue on the bank which there clearly wasn't.
So, a great day for enthusiasts and for those who are fond of all things Great Western ! I hope you enjoy the sight and sound a Castle Class at full chat !
Part two of the Lickey Bank specials with 6233 is now available at the end of the video or via the link the below !
• LMS 6233 - The Duchess...
Thanks to Alex and Simon for looking after and operating my second camera.

[@g.g.dunnitt9181]

What a lovely even beat that loco has-whoever sets it's valves must be a genius.

[@v8pilot]

Four cylinders helps.

[@rninrvr]

From the US, WOW. We don't get to see steam like that here and these videos are a blessing. Unassisted up that grade without a hitch was amazing and the following banker, if needed, seemed to be saying as it burbled by, "wait for me I am trying to catch up".

[@heuhen]

@@creamwobbly there is an video, where 844 assist an gods train, up a hill. and videos of 3985 going for it

[@trespire]

@Sharon Evans Haven't you watched Union Pacific 3985 "Challanger" hauling over 100 double stacked cars at full speed ? Making easy work of what a 3 or 4 diesel units would do ? Unassisted. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpnKeaV6l7Nne7c Best part is that was revenue freight, propper work. Makes me patriotic and I'm not even American.

[@75jonesy]

I was in the 1st carriage and 3rd window from the front, it was fantastic to listen to. Thanks for posting this, great footage from many angles and locations.

[@slicer819]

Lickey Man? More like lucky man🙂!!

[@75jonesy]

@@slicer819 Love it, very lucky man haha!😁👌

[@mikethecabbie8476]

Loved the way the sheep scarpered at 3:40, just from the sound of it...!

[@chriswilson2431]

She made light work of that with only 6 on the back. Loved the little extra at the end too. Can’t best the sound of that class 20’s V8! Great video. Thoroughly enjoyed every second.

[@TheBrickGuy7939]

That Class 20 at the end was, different.

[@michaellovell1368]

Clun giving it some SERIOUS welly here !! What a sight !! What a sound !!

[@kenmcdowell5325]

Was that the castle running away from its banker?😂😂😂

[@BevMattocks]

I remember the Lickey as a small child on the train from Weston-Super-Mare to Leeds at the tail end of steam in the early 1960s, my train-mad dad getting really excited at the approach to the Lickey, then while we waited for the bankers to help us up. As a small child I called it the Lickey Ink Line. 😅😅

[@srprameshprasad1688]

Absolutely beautiful when steam locomotives roar & the beats....never ending fascination!

[@TheBroomwagon]

Brings a lump to my throat just watching that

[@johnwalker6736]

How can anyone say that that is NOT a thing of beauty? Give it something to eat and drink,and it will work it’s socks off for you!

[@philipizzard2584]

Wow wow and double wow that castle sounds awesome going up the lickey

[@EMuksteam]

Brilliant video Liam and Phil. A great performance by Clun Castle even with 6 carriages. Love the different angles you captured. Well worth going for. Enjoyable watching. Kind regards C&A

[@darylslinn5704]

That is spot on footage, a brilliant sight fantastically captured. ... and then the 20 having a go too.

[@johndavies1090]

Simply beautiful, just beautiful. What a locomotive.

[@kennethhume8628]

I’m pleased that they only had 6 coaches , I’m not a fan of overloading steam locos .

[@SFSproductions1]

One time they put 9 coaches on the duchess of sutherland with no support up a hill and it got stuck

[@masonaxenty4869]

Great shots! Love the chopper at the end too.

[@roysimmons3549]

Super locomotive. Looks every inch a super star and as mentioned a super beat.

[@inyobill]

Wow, just a jaunt in the park for that old girl.

[@Rosie6857]

This is a well-judged slaughter, a real pasting. Clun Castle is using steam a lot faster faster than it can continuously generate it and this includes the acceleration before Bromsgrove. I've no doubt the double chimney was beneficial at these high steam rates. Well done both driver and fireman.

[@kenh3344]

What was that 20. Catch me if you can...... but looked good solo.

[@JamesSmith-mv9fp]

And you are a qualified Locomotive Mechanical Engineer are you ? I don't think ! But from someone who is, I can tell you. You are talking out of your bottom, get my drift !!!!

[@Rosie6857]

@@JamesSmith-mv9fp Was that addressed to me? If so, what is it about my posting that you object to? Come on, tell us.

[@timu438]

Awesome sights and sounds in high quality. Thank you!

[@sirjohng1]

It must have been great for the driver and fireman with such a light load, looks like they were having a great time of it! I was, just watching it

[@maesteg]

Believe me its not all a great time, you are shovelling to keep the pace going, and if its not shovelling one is dashing for the water injection valves, and if its not all them its going into the tender to pull coal forward so you can handle it twice, from someone who worked the 'Pembroke Coast express' 60 years ago.

[@sirjohng1]

@@maesteg :: Yes not wishing to belittle the effort required it must be a change from the relative calm of a Heritage railway. I did a short driver experience afternoon so that I would better understand what is involved in the cab and even with that I now have greater respect for those involved. Firing is backbreaking, unremitting and having to instantly decide where to place each shovelful to optimise coal usage and fire spread is an art. Then if you don't watch your boiler glasses there is the chance of blowing up the engine. I nearly forgot, there is the riddling of the grate and removal of clinker too? When driving with only the loco at around 50 tons, stopping was a hair-raising experience. Overrun was the biggest one with all that weight and just shoe brakes but you do get used to it and begin to compensate. However, a 9F with 50 odd brakeless wagons of coal and a guard applying his minimal force must have been especially hair-raising.

[@whiskersandfeelers]

Brilliant stuff, thanks for posting, love the 20 at the end.

[@neiljervisss100]

Thank you for a great video and the chopper running along behind was a tribute to all the bankers from the past

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Yes it was, glad you enjoyed it.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

I was in the field next door to you mate and I caught the castle at the lickey incline

[@fredscratchet1355]

Beautiful, thankyou.

[@napierpaxman]

Banker - wait for me! :D

[@kevinpoole6233]

a great shot, she sounds and looks impressive

[@aniffwebb]

what a wonderous sound , great work by all the footplate crew.

[@manisally]

Great video and fantastic locations

[@44662dc]

Wow what a blast great footage thanks for sharing.

[@crompton33022]

Brillant, thank you.

[@julianwalker1546]

Many thanks for this one, an excellent gift on my birthday!

[@matthewormston27]

fantastic...... and great to see a chooper clatter by at the end too.

[@yeojohn]

Fantastic footage.

[@TrainsBoatsPlanes]

Great action, well filmed. Think a Castle could go anywhere with 6 coaches.

[@railfreightdrivergallagherGBRf]

Shame only load 6, but still a good sound on the 1 in 37 Lickey. Love the magic units and 20 at the end, that apeared like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn 😁

[@ajt7027]

Wanted to be there but could not make it.. This was almost as good ! Magnificent work..

[@johnbradshaw7525]

She looked and sounded magnificent.

[@davesalmon2492]

Used to try to get on the pedestrian bridge at Bromsgrove station as little lad with the engines going underneath me. Probably a good thing I got hauled off the bridge before it went underneath. I grew up with the sound of the bankers wheel spin in summer and train spotted in the 70s but this is just brilliant thanks.

[@johnwalker6736]

Yeah,,,,, I can relate to that,Dave………..you must be my age…………memories that never fade,eh.?

[@alanblackburn3976]

Brilliant!

[@greghilton7797]

Great shoot mate. I love the black cow in the bottom right at 4:16 'Oh come on its just a train.'

[@trevordeane3940]

Brilliant

[@robindeer-park5755]

Fabulous

[@tropicalties3806]

Fireman did a good job on the hill. Clean stack the whole way up even with the engineer sucking the fire through the grates.

[@johnwalker6736]

Engineer=driver

[@tropicalties3806]

The terms are interchangeable.

[@12crepello]

@@tropicalties3806 Between the USA and the UK!

[@manekdubash5022]

@@tropicalties3806 The word engineer has an entirely different meaning in the UK. It doesn't mean engine driver.

[@locomotive6727]

Hi Liam & Phil, Great filming.....Dave

[@jonathanhasnip3700]

Wow 👍👍full regulator as well 👌👌

[@trespire]

Nothing quite like a steam engine at full speed. It literally sounds like a turbine or a jet engine.

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

That's what we love about a steam loco at full chat.

[@RichardASK]

That was a superb piece of driving and no wheel slip, that I heard. Vigo is a great place to watch from, but don't tell everyone. Great vid..

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Thank you, Richard. The location is pretty well known so you have to turn up early doors, as its limited space.

[@jammiebeasts]

Awesome :)

[@SimonTog]

Super video and nice sound :)

[@kipsome45]

She romped up there! Only 200 tons or so, but what a performance. Would love to have seen how she coped with load 10.

[@Rosie6857]

With10 it would likely have stalled even with the pressure fully up and no slipping. Castles are great but they're not magic - there are limits.

[@johndavies5826]

Six on is not too severe a test, even up the Lickey, but Yes, 7029 was in cracking form!

[@davidcrook5511]

Just great and I too liked the 20 at the end. As one or two have alreadypointed out, "Clun Castle" did work a train up Lickey in 1965 and it was recorded (by Audicord) very impressive and I couldn't hear the banker (class 37 diesel)!

[@malcolmrichards8922]

I watched the 1965 run from the lineside. Makes me feel old!

[@christophernewman5027]

And enjoy it l did! Many thanks.

[@hamshackleton]

Nearly photobombed by the emu in that middle clip!

[@iandocwra1169]

The seven dislikes remain a mystery! Great camera work - the OHLE masts only just fail to obstruct the view down the bank!

[@landhopper4296]

Did enjoy that. Is the location at 3.45 where Terence Cuneo did/set his painting?

[@andrewwilliams2353]

Clun had a double chimney didn't it ? This beautiful beast had the original single. Nunney perhaps or Pendennis ?

[@AndreiTupolev]

It may be only six Coaches, but I think 100 tons or even less - no more than four coaches - was the limit unassisted in steam days. Very very lucky with the Class 323s; if they'd been thirty seconds later that would have been unfortunate 😐

[@huwpardoe581]

Without a banker, a Jubilee was allowed up with 7 and a Midland compound with 4. I have seen both in the 50's.

[@TheClass56xxfan]

was the injector left on sucking no water?

[@SteamLance]

Can I ask where you filmed this from?

[@MarshSteamVideosTM]

Vigo foot crossing near the top of Lickey Bank.

[@inyobill]

2.6%. Ouch.

[@jamesrippard4998]

3:03 neeowm