The Nunney Castle pictured in the 1980s. Picture: Les Chatfield/Creative Commons

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Six decades of steam locomotive development set for Somerset show

Paul JonesSeptember 21, 20250 Comment0

SIX decades of express steam locomotive development will be showcased at an upcoming rail event.

The West Somerset Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala is on the line between October 17 and 19 – as the year of Railway200 draws towards its close.

Locomotives from the 19th and 20th century will feature, with the older of the pair being London and South Western Railway T3 Class number 563.

Dating from tbe 1880s, the T3s were designed by William Adams and worked the premier express trains of the LSWR on the routes from to London Waterloo to Southampton or Exeter.

En route to the latter they would have been a familiar sight passing through Gillingham, Yeovil Junction, Crewkerne and Honiton.

As the 19th Century approached its end the improving standards of railway carriage comfort meant the weight of the elite express services became too great for the T3s but they continued to find useful employment on secondary passenger trains.

Number 563 was eventually saved for preservation and spent time at the now closed Clapham Transport Museum and the National Railway Museum in York before entering the care of Swanage Railway.

Now restored to working life, it will make its first visit to Somerset in nearly a century.

The LSWR’s rival for passenger custom between South West England and London was the Great Western, which at the time when number 563 was built, still ran broad gauge expresses to Plymouth and Cornwall.

The last trains to travel on Brunel’s 7 feet and a quarter inch track gauge ran in 1892 and the 1900s saw new generations of ever larger express steam engines constructed.

The first ‘Castle’ class emerged from Swindon in 1923 and 11 years later. Nunney Castle emerged. Numbered 5029, Nunney Castle will also feature in the October event, taking a more leisurely break from its usual work on mainline excursions as part of the fleet of Locomotive Services Limited.

Viewing the pair at the same event will show how far steam locomotive design progressed in six decades.

Details of other steam engines set to take part in the West Somerset Railway Autumn Steam Gala – and advance tickets – are available via www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk or on 01643 704996.