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, 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.

ex-GWR locomotives at Tyseley
4965 and 7760 inside a shed.

As well as supporting the trust's operating wing Vintage Trains, it is home to an extensive collection of steam engines, ranging 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]

Present operations
bits of Kinlet Hall and Duke of Gloucester

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.

Location and access
Tyseley Traction Maintenance Depot (top); Tyseley Locomotive Works (around the turntable); and carriage sidings

Located close to Tyseley railway station, the No.4 or 4A bus routes 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.

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

Stock list

Operational Mainline locomotives

Not all locomotives listed below are owned by Tyseley Locomotive Works

Steam Locomotives
Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Mainline Ticket Expires Livery Owner Current Location Image
Steam Locomotives
7029 Clun Castle GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class 1950 Operational, Mainline Certified 2025 BR Green, Late Crest Tyseley Locomotive Works Tyseley Locomotive Works
45305 Alderman A.E. Draper LMS 4-6-0 Black Five 1937 Operational, Mainline Certified 2020 BR Black, Late Crest 5305 Locomotive Association Great Central Railway
45596 Bahamas LMS 4-6-0 5XP Jubilee 1935 Operational, Mainline Certified 2026 BR Green, Late Crest Bahamas Locomotive Society Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
6233 Duchess of Sutherland LMS "Princess Coronation" 4-6-2 1938 Operational, Mainline Certified 2025 LMS Crimson Lake Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust Midland Railway, Butterley

Diesel Locomotives
Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Owner Current Location Image
20142 BR Co-Co Class 20 1957 Operational, Mainline Certified LT Red Class 20189 Ltd Tyseley Locomotive Works
20189 BR Co-Co Class 20 1957 Operational, Mainline Certified BR Blue Class 20189 Ltd Tyseley Locomotive Works
47773 BR Co-Co Class 47 1964 Operational, Mainline Certified BR Two-Tone Green Tyseley Locomotive Works Severn Valley Railway
50033 "Glorious" BR Co-Co Class 50 1968 Operational[4] BR Blue, Large-Logo Tyseley Locomotive Works Severn Valley Railway

Diesel Multiple Units
Loco Number Description Year Built Current Status Livery Owner Current Location Image Notes
144014 Class 144 1986 Operational Northern Rail unbranded Tyseley Locomotive Works Tyseley Locomotive Works Aquired by Tyseley for use on short mainline trips.[5]
144019 Class 144 1986 Operational Northern Rail unbranded Tyseley Locomotive Works Tyseley Locomotive Works Aquired by Tyseley for use on short mainline trips.
144023 Class 144 1986 Operational Northern Rail unbranded Tyseley Locomotive Works Tyseley Locomotive Works Aquired by Tyseley for use on short mainline trips.

Operational locomotives used on open days or shunting
Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Photograph
2004 Percy Peckett and Sons 0-4-0ST 1942 Operational, Runs demonstration trains at open days. Lined Maroon
3783 (08616) "Tyseley 100" BR 0-6-0DE Class 08 1959 Operational, re-numbered and named during the Tyseley 100 Celebrations. London Midland Colors
10255 "Sentinel" Rolls-Royce Sentinel 0-6-0 1966 Operational Black
13029 (08021) BR 0-6-0DE Class 08 1953 Operational BR Black
299099 Ruston Hornsby 0-4-0 88DS 1950 Operational Blue

Locomotives Undergoing Work

Steam Locomotives

Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Photograph
670 LNWR Bloomer Class 2-2-2 replica N/A Construction began in 1986; it was 90% complete by 1990 but has never been finished. The tender is painted in an approximation of LNWR Southern Division green. The LNWR Bloomer project was launched in June 2019 in order to complete the locomotive.
778 0-4-0T N/A Under overhaul. N/A
789 GER 2-4-2T Class M15 N/A Under construction. N/A
3278 Franklin D. Roosevelt USATC 2-8-0 S160 Class 1944. Undergoing overhaul. Arrived from Long Marston in November 2014. N/A
4121 GWR 2-6-2T 5101 Class 1937. Undergoing restoration. N/A
4588 Trojan GWR 4575 1927. Undergoing overhaul for Peak Rail. GWR Green
5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class 1936 Undergoing Overhaul. BR Green, Early Emblem
6880 Betton Grange GWR 4-6-0 6800 Grange Class 20## Undergoing construction BR Green, Late Crest
7802 Bradley Manor GWR 4-6-0 7800 Manor Class 1938 Undergoing repairs following incident at West Somerset Railway BR Green, Late Crest
7812 Erlestoke Manor GWR 4-6-0 7800 Manor Class 1939 Undergoing overhaul following expiry of its boiler ticket in Dec 2017. N/A
34070 Manston SR 4-6-2 Battle of Britain class 1947 Undergoing overhaul and repairs following collision incident at the Swanage Railway where the engine ran into 80104 N/A
71000 Duke of Gloucester BR Standard Class 8 4-6-2 1954. Undergoing overhaul. BR Green

Diesel Locomotives

Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Photograph
40118 BR 1Co-Co1 Class 40 1961. Undergoing major restoration with work focused on the interior. BR Blue

Locomotives Stored and Awaiting Work

Steam Locomotives

Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Photograph
18 "Cadbury No.1" Avonside 0-4-0T 1925. 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 it pulled the first paying steam train. With an expired boiler certificate, it has undergone a cosmetic repaint and is stored undercover. Cadbury Brown
65 Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T 1929 Built for Stewarts & Lloyds. Owned by Grinsty Rail Ltd.
'Pony/Achilles' Hawthorn Leslie & Co. 0-4-0ST 1912 Static display. Built for Blyth Harbour Commissioners. Owned by Grinsty Rail Ltd. Green
2885 GWR 2-8-0 28xx Class 1938. Moved from Birmingham Moor Street station in June 2013 after 8 years on display and now awaiting restoration to working order. GWR Green
4965 Rood Ashton Hall GWR 4-6-0 49xx Hall Class 1931 Stored, awaiting overhaul. Withdrawn from service on 9 September 2019. GWR Green
5080 Defiant GWR 4-6-0 4073 Castle Class 1939. On static display awaiting overhaul, returned to Tyseley from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in May 2017. GWR Green
5593 Kolhapur 5XP Jubilee 1934. On static display awaiting overhaul. LMS Crimson Lake
7752 (L94) GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class 1930 Stored, Awaiting Overhaul GWR Green
7760 GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class 1931. Stored, Awaiting Overhaul GWR Green
9600 GWR 0-6-0PT 57xx Class 1945 Stored, Awaiting Overhaul BR Lined Black
71480 Fred Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn WD 0-6-0ST 1945. Stored. N/A

Diesel Locomotives

Loco Number Name Description Year Built Current Status Livery Photograph
376 0-4-0 Andrew Barclay loco 1948 Static Display Red
800 0-4-0 Baguley Petrol loco 1920 Static display Chalk White
347747 Ruston Hornsby 0-6-0DM 'LWS' 1957 Stored Dark Green

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 November 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2004.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Nabarro, Gerald (1972). Steam Nostalgia: Locomotive and Railway Preservation in Great Britain. Routledge. pp. 39–42. ISBN 0-7100-7391-7.
  3. http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/sua/index.html
  4. Devereux, Nigel (22 August 2018). "Glorious 'Hoover' being returned to its former glory".
  5. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/12/vintage-trains-welcomes-3-pacer-trains-to-tyseley-as-regular-mainline-use-is-planned.html Tyseley aquires three class 142's

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