Tyseley Locomotive Works

Tyseley Locomotive Works, formerly the Birmingham Railway Museum, is the engineering arm of steam railtour promoter Vintage Trains based in Birmingham, England. It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway's Tyseley depot, built in 1908 to accommodate 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, it is home to an extensive collection of steam engines, from small industrial builds to Great Western Railway 'Castles' and 'Halls', and large ex-mainline diesel engines.

Background

Following the purchase of GWR Castle Class No.7029 Clun Castle in January 1966 by Patrick Whitehouse, the locomotive needed a base close to its central West Midlands supporters' base. Whitehouse found space available at Tyseley, on the site of the former GWR depot, and formed 7029 Clun Castle Ltd to own both the locomotive and the rights to stable it at the 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 Steam 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]

Vintage Trains Railtours

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.

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 loco servicing centre at the southern end of the Shakespeare Line. A small museum is also being considered.^[3]

As of October 2023, Vintage Trains still operate their "Shakespeare Express" trains between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon on select Sunday's throughout the year. Pickups are offered at: Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham Moor Street & Tyseley alongside Stratford-upon-Avon.^[4] From 2007 an additional stop was made at Henley-in-Arden to offer passengers a round trip journey travelling via Stratford upon Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill, this was discontinued at the end of the 2021 season.^[5]

It was also announced in October 2023 that 2024's programme of "Shakespeare Express" trains will be expanded to include additional departures from Derby, Worcester and Leicester on individual trips alongside the regular trips from Birmingham.^[6] The Worcester departures are also expected to include steam haulage up Lickey Incline.

Steam Excursions

Alongside its regular "Shakespeare Express" trains from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon, a number of steam excursions are run throughout the year to destinations across the UK. These vary from either travelling over ex GWR routes to destinations formerly visited by the GWR, to routes that we're never used by GWR locomotives and to destinations which weren't visited by GWR locomotives.

Destinations that have been visited by Vintage Trains railtours over the years have included: Cardiff, Carlisle, Edinburgh, Hereford, Liverpool, Llandudno, London (including numerous terminuses: Euston, Kings Cross, Marylebone and Paddington), Salisbury, Scarborough and York. Routes that Vintage Trains railtours have also travelled along over the years have included original GWR routes like: Chiltern Main Line, Great Western Main Line, South Devon Main Line, South Wales Main Line & Welsh Marches Line. Non GWR routes have also been travelled over include: Caledonian Main Line, Crewe-Liverpool Line, East Coast Main Line, Edinburgh-Dundee Line, North Wales Coast Line, Settle and Carlisle Line and West Coast Main Line.

In May 2012, Vintage Trains ran their first multiday trip called "Castle to Scotland" and ran over 3 days from Sat 26th May to Mon 28th May with 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.^[7] Sun 27th May included an optional trip from Linlithgow to Stirling.^[8] A second multiday trip is being planned for Fri 10th May to Sat 11th May 2024 to mark the 60th anniversary for 1Z48 and will involve 7029 Clun Castle.^[9]^[10] For Friday the trip will run from Birmingham to Plymouth travelling via Oxford and Bristol & for Saturday the tour will return from Plymouth to Birmingham travelling via London Paddington.

2023 marked the 100th anniversary since the introduction of the Castle Class in 1923. In connection to an event taking place at Didcot Railway Centre involving resident engines 4079 Pendennis Castle and 5051 Drysllwyn Castle on Sat 4 March 2023,^[11] 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and 7029 Clun Castle double headed a Shareholder special from Birmingham Moor Street to Didcot Parkway in connection with the event.^[12]^[13] Following arrival at Didcot both engines were placed on display alongside classmates 4079 Pendennis Castle and 5051 Drysllwyn Castle. 7029 acted as pilot engine to 5043 for the journey to Didcot & 5043 piloted 7029 on the journey back to Birmingham. This trip was also the first time in preservation that the two surviving double chimney castles had double headed together. Both engines would also double head a second railtour on Sat 10 June 2023 from Birmingham to Hereford called "The Castle Centenarian", 5043 once again piloted 7029 for the trip.^[14]^[15]

Polar Express

During the Christmas period between November and December, Vintage Trains run regular "Polar Express" trains between Birmingham Moor Street and Dorridge (Renamed "North Pole" for the event). Based on the 2004 film "The Polar Express" passengers experience scenes theatrically re-created by actors on the train aswell as at Birmingham Moor Street before joining the train for the two hour long performance.

The trips are traditionally hauled by one of Tyseley's resident steam locomotives which have previously included: 4965 Rood Ashton Hall (renamed "Polar Star"), 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe & 7029 Clun Castle. One of Tyseley's diesel's usually hauls the train from Birmingham to Dorridge & a steam engine takes the train back to Birmingham.

Four round trips are run per day which take place every Friday to Sunday in November and December.^[16]^[17]

Locomotives

Number	Name	Class	Wheel Configuration	Year Built	Builder	Status	Notes
2885	-	GWR 2884 Class	2-8-0	1938	Swindon Works	Undergoing Restoration^{[citation needed]}
4121	-	GWR 5101 Class	2-6-2T	1937	Swindon Works	Stored
4936	Kinlet Hall	GWR 4900 Class	4-6-0	1929	Swindon Works	Undergoing Overhaul	Overhaul being done to mainline standard.^[18]
4965	Rood Ashton Hall	GWR 4900 Class	4-6-0	1930	Swindon Works	Awaiting Overhaul
5043	Earl of Mount Edgcumbe	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1936	Swindon Works	Operational, Mainline Certified (2023-Ongoing)	Boiler ticket expires in 2031.^[12]
5080	Defiant	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1939	Swindon Works	Undergoing Ovehaul	Overhaul being done to mainline standard.^[19]
5164	-	GWR 5101 Class	2-6-2T	1930	Swindon Works	Stored^[20]
5551	The Unknown Warrior	LMS Patriot Class	4-6-0	20##	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Under Construction^[21]
5593	Kolhapur	LMS Jubilee Class	4-6-0	1934	North British Locomotive Co.	Awaiting Overhaul^[22]
5952	Cogan Hall	GWR 4900 Class	4-6-0	1935	Swindon Works	Stored^[23]
6880	Betton Grange	GWR 6800 Class	4-6-0	20##	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Under Construction^[24]
7029	Clun Castle	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1950	Swindon Works	Operational, Mainline Certified (2019-Ongoing)	Boiler ticket expires in 2027.^[25]
7760	-	GWR 5700 Class	0-6-0PT	1930	North British Locomotive Co.	Awaiting Overhaul^[26]
7802	Bradley Manor	GWR 7800 Class	4-6-0	1938	Swindon Works	Under Repair^[27]	Based at the Severn Valley Railway
9600	-	GWR 5700 Class	0-6-0PT	1945	Swindon Works	Awaiting Overhaul^[28]
71000	Duke of Gloucester	BR Standard Class 8	4-6-2	1954	Crewe Works	Under Overhaul^[29]