7018 ' Drysllwyn Castle' was an engine with an interesting history. With a reputation as a' bad steamer' and an indifferent performer at her home shed of Landore she was acordingly selected to be the first of her class to have a double chimney , following the success of the' Kings' which had been so fitted. I photographed 7018 in Swindon Works in May of 1956 or thereabouts being prepared for entry into' A" shop , and such modifications greatly improved her subsequent performance . 7018 was transferred to Bristol Bath Road following this overhaul , and is pictured here on a Bristol to Paddington working leaving Bath Spa.
An engine with a poor reputation as an indifferent steamer whilst in its early years at its Landore Depot , 7018 " Drysllwyn Castle " was later to be transformed into becoming the best of her class based at her new home at Bristol's Bath Road Depot in April of 1958 following her second extensive overhaul at Swindon Works lasting from January until April of 1958.
This had been 7018's second major overhaul at Swindon , as an earlier lengthy spell from August of 1955 until May of 1956 had resulted in the engine having an experimental design of steel fabricated double chimney fitted following a period of extensive testing by those at Swindon in an effort to resolve its poor steamng .
The second overhaul at Swindon in 1958 provided 7018 with an improved design of double chimney from that fitted earlier , together with an improved four row superheater boiler , mechanical lubrication and a self ceaning smokebox with a new design of outside steam pipes , all of which very soon resulted in some memorable runs between the engine's new home at Bristol and Paddington , particularly with the tightly timed and non stop " Bristolian " , culminating in the fastest recorded run with steam on that duty on 28th. April 1958 , just over three weeks after 7018 had returned to service