Two gwr castle class hst sets move to the west somerset railway for storage

On a rather overcast September 11, GWR Castle Class HST power car 43042 Tregenna Castle leads Mk.3 trailer coach set GW03 (consisting of 48109, 48108, 48107 and 49103) and 43162 Caerhays Castle on the rear through Crowcombe Heathfield on the West Somerset Railway, running as 5Z12, the 09.58 Laira to Minehead. This was the first of two GWR Castle Class HST trains to move to the WSR for warm storage, with the set expected to return to Plymouth towards the end of October or early November.

Russell Ayre

TWO GREAT Western Railway Castle Class high speed train sets have been moved to the West Somerset Railway for temporary warm storage on the heritage railway.

The WSR agreed to store the two HSTs at relatively short notice, with the first train – consisting of power cars 43042 Tregenna Castle and 43162 Caerhays Castle, along with Mk.3 trailer set GW03 – arriving on September 11 for storage at Minehead.

The second train, comprising power cars 43094 St Mawes Castle, 43122 Dunster Castle and coaching set GW02, arrived the following day, with this train due to be stored at Bishops Lydeard.

These two trains have not been permanently stood down by GWR, but they have been moved on a temporary basis due to a lack of space at Laira depot, in Plymouth, while work on the decommissioning of the Cross-Country HST fleet takes place, ahead of them being handed back to Angel Trains and Porterbrook.

In return for storing the trains, GWR agreed that o