GWR Caerphilly Castle No. 4073
A new class built on a strong family resemblance.
Bring the engine
to life.
Start with the suggested palette or choose your own colours. Build gentle layers around the engine's distinctive shapes.
Suggested pencil shades and approximate screen swatches. These are not historical paint specifications.
Start lightly and build the darker surfaces gradually. Preserve the printed details.
Leave fine white highlights to separate the moving parts.
Keep the surroundings quieter than the locomotive. Retain light sky areas.
Look a little closer.
Caerphilly Castle in its former Science Museum display, showing its dark green body, black smokebox and brass-coloured fittings. Read each caption before using it as a colour or configuration reference.
Caerphilly Castle in its former Science Museum display, showing its dark green body, black smokebox and brass-coloured fittings. Photograph of the named locomotive. Preserved appearance may differ from its original working condition.
Murgatroyd49 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source photograph. Resized and converted to WebP.
Front three-quarter museum view of No. 4073 with dark green paint, a black smokebox and red buffer beam. Photograph of the named locomotive. Preserved appearance may differ from its original working condition.
David Hillas · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source photograph. Resized and converted to WebP.
Caerphilly Castle at STEAM in Swindon, with green boiler and cab surfaces and exposed grey-metal running gear. Photograph of the named locomotive. Preserved appearance may differ from its original working condition.
BWard 1997 · CC BY 3.0 · Source photograph. Resized and converted to WebP.
Museum view of No. 4073 showing green panels, dark running gear and the red buffer beam. Photograph of the named locomotive. Preserved appearance may differ from its original working condition.
Murgatroyd49 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source photograph. Resized and converted to WebP.
Low front view of No. 4073, with a black smokebox door, red buffer beam and exposed front bogie. Photograph of the named locomotive. Preserved appearance may differ from its original working condition.
BWard 1997 · CC BY 3.0 · Source photograph. Resized and converted to WebP.
Know the version.
The source below supports the locomotive identity and history. The photographs record the finish visible when each image was taken. A preserved or replica finish does not establish the original paint specification. Exact original paint shades and all period marking details have not been established for this guide.
The pencil example uses deep green and muted brass. Its palette is interpretive. The gallery records the particular appearances described in its captions; preserved engines, replicas and monochrome photographs cannot establish every original shade or marking.
STEAM Museum: Castle class centenaryDid you know?
Castle construction continued until 1950, long after the first engine entered service in 1923. The class total included sixteen locomotives rebuilt from earlier designs.
Make the details count.
Keep the safety-valve bonnet warmer than the steel rods.
Use small highlights on the boiler bands rather than heavy outlines.