Tyseley Locomotive Works facts for kids

ex-GWR locomotives at Tyseley

4965 and 7760 inside a shed.

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.

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".

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.

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.

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.

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	BR Blue, Large-Logo	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Severn Valley Railway

Diesel Multiple Units

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

Non Operational Engines

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