Most websites about individual engines are either because they were famous or are today preserved.
5028 was “Unsung” and is long gone, but she was well liked by the Great Western footplate men who drove and fired her. She worked mainly in the Newton Abbot & Laira Areas.
The following pages trace her story from “Birth” in 1934 to her untimely “Death” in 1960.
Why Llantilio Castle?
Simple. This blurred photograph of 5028 at Plymouth Station in 1959 was the catalyst.
5028 was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon in 1934.
Click the link below to enjoy the short summary story of her twenty four years on Top Link Expresses.
For greater detail on each topic, follow the links or click on the menu above - over 50 more pages packed full of over 90 Photos, 8 Slide Shows, Video & Audio Clips, Articles and Facts about her.
The only Castle Class Locomotive to be withdrawn directly as a result of an accident.
Technical information
Detailed information about her Sheds,Overhauls, Boilers, Tenders, Mileage Statistics and more.
Recollections of Enginemen
together with Letters and Anecdotal Memories of Enthusiasts.
Where did she run? - Apart from 3 years in the beginning and 3 years at the end when she was based at Laira, 5028 spent 80% of her life at Newton Abbot.
The Accident - the end for 5028.
Condemned after having travelled 1,345,291 miles or 54 times around the world. Repairs would have been relatively straightforward, but she was scrapped early because of British Railways’ dieselisation policy.
