Tyseley Locomotive Works
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Tyseley Locomotive Works is the museum and engineering arm of the Birmingham Railway Museum Trust, based in Birmingham, England. It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway's depot, which was constructed in 1908 as a result of expanding operations in the West Midlands, particularly the opening of the North Warwickshire Line as a new main line from Birmingham to Bristol.
As well as supporting the trust's operating wing Vintage Trains the museum is home to an extensive collection of steam engines, ranging from small industrial builds to Great Western Railway 'Castles' and 'Halls', and large ex-main line diesel engines.
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[edit] Background
Following the purchase of GWR Castle Class No.7029 "Clun Castle" in January 1966 the locomotive needed a base close to its central West Midlands supporters' base. The society found space available at Tyseley, on the site of the former GWR depot.
In October 1968, 7029 Clun Castle Ltd purchased LMS Jubilee Class No.5593 "Kolhapur". With further locomotives and railway artefacts available as a result of the Beeching Axe, the supporters established the Standard Gauge Stream Trust as a registered educational charity, to preserve and demonstrate the steam locomotives. Following negotiations the trust acquired a long-term lease on a large part of the Tyseley site, and established the Tyseley Collection which still owns the locomotives and artefacts via the limited company; the depot site became the "Birmingham Railway Museum".[1]
The trust cleared buildings and repaired the dilapidated tracks, and two water columns were repaired to allow steam locomotives to stay at the site. In 1968 the old coaling stage was converted into a two-road shed with an inspection pit to hold both acquired locomotives. In November 1966 "Clun Castle" was stripped and restored.[2]
In 1999 the trust achieved its long-held objective of running a regular steam train service on the national main line railway network: the Shakespeare Express between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon. At this point the trust felt that the term museum was inappropriate for its new status, and hence separated its assets and operations into two new organisations, Tyseley Locomotive Works and the operating arm Vintage Trains, with the third arm remaining the Tyseley Collection.[1]
[edit] Present operations
There is an emphasis on running a professional locomotive overhaul and maintenance site, with significant numbers of other preserved railways and other private operators contracting work to Tyseley. To this extent the site was for a time used as a base of operations for Fragonset Railways.
[edit] Location and access
Located close to Tyseley railway station, the No.37 bus operated by National Express West Midlands passes the site. Located on the A41 Warwick Road, the site is approximately 3 miles from Birmingham city centre, or 4 miles from Solihull.
The site is no longer open to the public, except on open days. These usually fall on the last weekends in June and October.
[edit] Shakespeare Express
As part of its educational programme the trust's operational arm Vintage Trains runs the Shakespeare Express between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon. Aimed at recreating the feeling of the 1950s holiday trains, it has strong appeal to families. It is increasingly being used by coach and tour operators as a new feature within their programme.
In October 2004 the trust announced the acquisition of a site adjacent to Stratford-upon-Avon railway station for future use as the Stratford Railway Tourist Centre and Steam Locomotive Centre. This will provide a steam train servicing centre at the southern end of the Shakespeare Line. A small museum is also being considered.[3]
[edit] Stock list
[edit] Steam locomotives
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This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (April 2011) |
| 0 | Number & Name | Description | Current Status | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 4110 | GWR 2-6-2T 5101 Class | Stored, awaiting restoration whilst being on loan from a private site in Southall, London. | N/A |
| 2 | No. 4121 | GWR 2-6-2T 5101 Class | Stored, awaiting restoration. | N/A |
| 3 | No. 7752 (L94) | GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class | Awaiting mainline certification. Re-launched at the June 2011 Open Day in pristine London Transport Livery. | Late 60's lined LT Livery |
| 4 | No. 7760 | GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class | On static display awaiting overhaul. Plans to put up for sale are currently going ahead due to being the less popular 57xx at Tyseley. Funds from sale will go towards the overhaul of Clun Castle | GWR Green |
| 5 | No. 9600 | GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class | Operational. Boiler ticket expires in 2018; has been fitted with OTMR for Network Rail certification. | BR Lined Black |
| 6 | No. 2885 | GWR 2-8-0 28xx Class | Stored, on static display at Birmingham Moor Street station | GWR Green |
| 7 | No. 4936 "Kinlet Hall" | GWR 4-6-0 49xx Hall Class | Operational. In main line service, and regularly used on the Shakespeare Express; sometimes visits other railways. | GWR Green |
| 8 | No. 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall" | GWR 4-6-0 49xx Hall Class | Now back in traffic after an 11-month hiatus and overhaul (October 2009). | GWR Green |
| 9 | No. 5043 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe" | GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class | Returned to steam in October 2008 after a 30-year restoration. | BR Green |
| 10 | No. 6201 "Princess Elizabeth" | LMS 4-6-2 Princess Class | Moved to Tyseley in 2010. Mainline Ticket expires March 2012. | LMS Maroon |
| 11 | No. 5029 "Nunney Castle" | GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class | Operational. Returned to traffic on the main line in April 2008. | GWR Green |
| 13 | No. 5080 "Defiant" | GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class | On static display at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. | GWR Green |
| 14 | No. 7029 "Clun Castle" | GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class | Restoration in progress - estimated completion 2014 (double chimney). | BR Green |
| 15 | No. 2996 "Victor" | W.G. Bagnall 0-6-0ST | Stored, pending overhaul. | N/A |
| 16 | No. 5593 "Kolhapur" | 5XP Jubilee | Stored - awaiting restoration | BR Green |
| 17 | No. 670. | LNWR 'Bloomer' 2-2-2 replica | Construction is nearly finished, with work now focused on the covers. | N/A |
| 18 | No. 2004 "Percy" | Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST | Operational. Runs demonstration trains at open days. | Lined Maroon |
| 19 | No. 778 | 0-4-0T | Undergoing overhaul. | N/A |
| 20 | "Cadbury No.1" | Avonside 0-4-0T | Worked its entire life at the Bournville Works Railway, on its closure in 1976 donated to the museum by Cadbury's. It has recently returned to Tyseley following a long term loan to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, where she pulled the first paying steam train. With an expired boiler certificate, she has undergone a cosmetic repaint and is stored undercover. | Cadbury Brown |
| 21 | "Henry" | Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST | On static display awaiting overhaul. | Black |
| 22 | No. 71480 "Fred" | Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn WD 0-6-0ST (LNER class J94) | Awaiting overhaul. | Blue, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Coat of Arms |
[edit] Diesel/electric locomotives
| 0 | Number & Name | Description | Current Status | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 800 | 0-4-0 Baguley Petrol loco | Static display | Chalk White |
| 2 | No. 299099 | Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0 88DS | Stored | Blue |
| 3 | No. 10255 "Sentinel" | Roll-Royce Sentinel 0-6-0 | Operational | Black |
| 4 | No. 347747 | Ruston Hornsby 0-6-0DM | Stored | Dark Green |
| 5 | No. 13029 | BR 0-6-0 Class 08 | Operational | BR Black |
| 6 | No. 3783 (08616) "Tyseley 100" | BR 0-6-0 Class 08 | Operational, re-numbered and named during the Tyseley 100 Celebrations. | London Midland Colors |
| 7 | No. 37264 | BR Co-Co Class 37 | Returned to mainline condition in 2009, now available for hire at preserved railways. | Variant on BR Large Logo Blue |
| 8 | No. 40118 | BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40 | Undergoing major restoration with work focused on the interior. | BR Blue |
| 9 | No. 47580 | BR Co-Co Class 47 | Operational & now based at Tyseley for mainline use. | Variant on BR Large Logo Blue |
| 10 | No. 47773 | BR Co-Co Class 47 | Operational | BR Two-Tone Green |
| 11 | No. 50021 "Rodney" | BR Co-Co Class 50 | Undergoing restoration | BR Large-Logo Blue |
| 12 | No. 50033 "Glorious" | BR Co-Co Class 50 | Operational | BR Large-Logo Blue |
| 13 | No. 86259 "Les Ross" | BR Bo-Bo Class 86 | Operational | Electric Blue |
| 14 | Unit. 55034 | BR Class 121 | Operational | Blood and Custard |
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://www.vintagetrains.co.uk/brm.htm
- ^ Nabarro, Gerald (1972). Steam Nostalgia: Locomotive and Railway Preservation in Great Britain. Routledge. pp. 39–42. ISBN 0710073917.
- ^ http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/sua/index.html
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 52°27′16″N 1°50′44″W / 52.4544°N 1.8455°W
