SLS The Bulleid Pacific Railtour

Peter Kerslake says "A really fine shot of "Clun Castle" with the Stephenson Locomotive Society Special on Sunday, 23rd May, 1965
The 450 mile round trip began in Birmingham behind 34051 "Winston Churchill", running via Reading and then on Southern metals via Basingstoke to Salisbury where 35017 "Belgian Marine" took over and headed the Special down to Exeter and then back on the Western main line to Westbury.
This is where 7029 came into the picture, running back from Westbury to Birmingham, and when I photographed the Special at 7.30.p.m. that evening at Gloucester it was running some forty minutes late.
Water was taken at Gloucester Eastgate and the footplate crew from Westbury were relieved there with a fresh crew coming on to the footplate for the final leg back to Birmingham.
My photographs at Gloucester show both crews but neither look like the chap visible here!

1965 had begun with twelve "Castles" remaining in service but by that July 7029 "Clun Castle" was the sole survivor as eight had been condemned in February of that same year with three more following to the breakers' yards in June.
During the first five months of 1965 "Clun Castle" made an appearance on an Enthusiasts' Special on each month followed by more Special workings in the September and November, and she is seen here on the Avon Valley line on the S.L.S.Special on 23rd May 1965.
By the end of that year, however, her mechanical condition was beginning to deteriorate but she was still being rostered by her Shedmaster at Gloucester's Horton Road to local passenger duties, including being specially chosen for very last additional Saturday passenger working on the last day of the 1965 Summer Services, namely the 4th September of 1965 when she came storming along the Gloucester avoiding line and running fifteen minutes ahead of time, having worked from Bristol Temple Meads and bound for Wolverhampton."