This splendid low angle portrait of 4096 , " Highclere Castle " shows off the classic lines of the class to advantage , the newly fitted outside steam pipes , with their distinctive pattern , looking better from this angle than they do when viewed from alongside the engine .
4096 was a very high mileage " Castle " with almost two million miles to its credit when withdrawn from Llanelly in early 1963 .
A long standing Bristol Bath Road engine at the time of this photograph , " Highclere Castle " went to Old Oak Common the year after this view , subsequently finding itself at Reading in 1962 for just a few months before returning back to Old Oak before its final move , and brief spell , at Llanelly in January of 1963 .
Enhancements to the superheating , improved draughting and mechanical lubrication to many of the " Castles " , carried out from the mid 'fifties , even to some of the earlest ones , gave those engines an extended lifetime of some ten years , with 7029 " Clun Castle " being the last of her class remaining in service at the end of 1965.