GWR Donates Castle Class Nameplate to Support Helston Railway Extension

Great Western Railway has donated a High Speed Train Castle Class nameplate to the Helston Railway, and it is now set to be sold through a sealed bid auction to help fund the heritage line’s extension towards Helston.

A Farewell to a Record Breaking Train

The donation comes as the Castle Class High Speed Trains approach the end of their working life. Their final day in scheduled passenger service in England will be 13th December 2025. The last trains will be seen crossing the Tamar and running through Cornwall, the part of the network where they have spent much of their near 50 years in service.

The Castle Class holds the world speed record for a diesel train at 148.5 mph.

📷Castle Class HST at Camborne on an Exeter to Penzance train on Sunday 18th May 2025. Photo: Peter Kennan

The Nameplate Gifted to Helston Railway

Each Castle Class power car was named after a castle on the Great Western network. The Helston Railway has been given St Mawes Castle, one of the closest castles to Helston.

Three nameplates were made for each power car, with two carried during service. Prices for these pieces can be high. In March 2025 the Castle Class nameplate St Michael’s Mount sold at auction for £8,500. The nameplate donated to the Helston Railway is the third plate, which was not carried, so it will not reach the same value but is still expected to be desirable.

The railway describes the donation as incredibly generous and says it will provide vital funds for their plans to extend the line.

How to Bid

To ensure fairness and independence, the nameplate is being sold through a sealed bid auction. Interested buyers must submit their written offer in a sealed envelope by 5.00 pm on 27th February 2026.

Anyone wanting more details about the auction or how to take part can contact Peter Kennan at peterk@helstonrailway.co.uk

📷The St Mawes Castle nameplate itself. You can hopefully see the incredible detail which went into the foundry pattern for each nameplate. Photo: Peter Kennan