In May 2024, we proudly announce the arrival of ex-GWR Castle No. 4079, the legendary "Pendennis Castle”. No. 4079 will be visiting the Churnet Valley Railway for the whole of May, courtesy of the Didcot Railway Centre.
During its visit to the Churnet Valley Railway we will be holding a rather special gala weekend to celebrate the locomotives 100th birthday, keep an eye on our website and social media pages for further details including other visiting locomotives.
You might wonder what makes the visit of Pendennis Castle so special, well, let's rewind the clock 46 years. No. 4079 embarked on a remarkable journey, bidding farewell to English shores for a new life Down Under, where it was acquired by the Australian Hamersley Iron Company. It traversed the rugged Chichester Ranges, even sharing the tracks with the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive—an unforgettable spectacle reminiscent of their joint exhibition at the 1925 British Empire Exhibition.
But Pendennis Castle's globetrotting adventures began long before its Australian escapade. Fresh from the halls of the Great Western Railway Company's renowned Swindon Works, where it was meticulously crafted, this majestic locomotive embarked on a thrilling journey. In 1925, it was loaned to the London North Eastern Railway Company for groundbreaking trials, where it faced off against Sir Nigel Gresley's Mighty Pacific, including the legendary Flying Scotsman!
Pendennis Castle's international odyssey eventually came full circle in the year 2000 when it returned home, repatriated by the Didcot Railway Centre. A painstaking restoration journey ensued, with a few bumps along the way, including delays brought on by the pandemic. However, in April 2022, this magnificent locomotive was reborn, ready to reclaim its spot in railway history.