Tyseley Locomotive Works

4936 Kinlet Hall, 71000 Duke of Gloucester and various other locomotives pictured at varying stages of overhaul in the main shed at Tyseley Locomotive Works

Tyseley Locomotive Works, formerly the Birmingham Railway Museum, is the engineering arm of mainline railtour operator Vintage Trains, based in Birmingham, England. It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway's Tyseley depot. 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

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4965 and 7760 inside the main shed at Tyseley

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".<ref name="VinTrains">Template:Cite web</ref>

The trust cleared buildings, repaired the dilapidated tracks and restored two water columns to allow steam locomotives to take water 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 overhauled at the site.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name="VinTrains"/> Since then, the restoration and maintenance of steam locomotives has been an ongoing process and long term goal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Operation

File:5029 5043 7029 4936 and 4965 Tyseley.jpg

A fleet of ex-GWR locomotives positioned near the turntable at Tyseley.

Tyseley Locomotive Works stores, restores, overhauls and maintains Vintage Trains' fleet of steam and diesel locomotives for use hauling mainline railtours. It also undertakes contract work for third party companies, where their locomotives may be overhauled, restored or constructed using the locomotive works' facilities, this helps generate revenue to assist the works in upkeep costs and continued operation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> One notable project to emerge from the works is that of 6880 Betton Grange, which was primarily constructed at TLW.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tours are also occasionally available, so that members of the public may tour the depot with a member of staff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Vintage Trains also operates railtours using hired steam and diesel locomotives such as 45596 Bahamas and D1015 Western Champion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These 'guest' locomotives may use Tyseley Locomotive Works as a temporary operating base,<ref name=FOVT55>Template:Cite magazine</ref> but are not included in the listings below.

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

Locomotives listed here form part of the Tyseley collection except where noted.

Image	Number	Name	Class	Wheel Configuration	Year built	Builder	Status	Notes
File:GWR Class 2884 No 2885 2-8-0 (6761025903).jpg	2885	-	GWR 2884 Class	2-8-0	1938	Swindon Works	Undergoing RestorationTemplate:Citation needed	Privately owned<ref name=FOVT55/>
File:Pilning High Level station up freight geograph-2935954-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg	4121	-	GWR 5101 Class	2-6-2T	1937	Swindon Works	Undergoing overhaul<ref name="Middleton-2025">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Privately owned<ref name=FOVT55/>
File:Rood Ashton Hall 1 (37969103836).jpg	4965	Rood Ashton Hall	GWR 4900 Class	4-6-0	1930	Swindon Works	Awaiting Overhaul<ref name="Middleton-2025" />
File:5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe parked up around the turntable.jpg	5043	Earl of Mount Edgcumbe	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1936	Swindon Works	Operational, Mainline Certified (2023-Ongoing)<ref name="Middleton-2025" />	Boiler ticket expires in 2031.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Defiant parked up around the turntable.jpg	5080	Defiant	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1939	Swindon Works	Awaiting overhaul<ref name="Middleton-2025" />	Overhaul being done to mainline standard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:7029 Clun Castle on the turntable at Tyseley LW.jpg	7029	Clun Castle	GWR 4073 Class	4-6-0	1950	Swindon Works	Operational, Mainline Certified (2019-Ongoing)<ref name="Middleton-2025" />	Boiler ticket expires in 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
File:Minehead - 7752 GWR livery.JPG	7752	-	GWR 5700 Class	0-6-0PT	1930	North British Locomotive Co.	Awaiting OverhaulTemplate:Cn
File:9600 Tyseley (2).jpg	9600	-	GWR 5700 Class	0-6-0PT	1945	Swindon Works	Awaiting OverhaulTemplate:Cn
	1	Cadbury N01	-	0-4-0	1925	Avonside	Cosmetic Overhaul
File:Peckett Tyseley Open Day 2015.jpg	1	-	Peckett W7	0-4-0	1941	Peckett & Sons	Awaiting Overhaul
File:LNWR Bloomer No. 670 at Tyseley.jpg	670	-	LNWR Bloomer	2-2-2	20xx	Tyseley	Under Construction<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Replica
File:B2 CCLR SMR 4-4-2 No 1 SUTTON BELLE Kingsway.jpg	1	Sutton Belle	Moddified bassett-lowke Class 30	4-4-2	1933	Cannon Ironfoundries	Undergoing overhaul<ref name="Project">Template:Cite web</ref>	15Inch Gauge
	2	Sutton Flyer	Moddified bassett-lowke Class 30	4-4-2	1952	Oldbury Foundry	Awaiting Overhaul<ref name="Project" />	15Inch Gauge

Diesel locomotives

Loco numbers in bold mean their current number.

Pre-TOPS Number	TOPS Number	Class	Name	Livery	Owner	Status	Mainline Certified	Location	Photograph	Notes
D3029	13029	08	-	BR Black	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Operational	No	Tyseley<ref name=FOVT55/>	File:13029 (08 021) Tyseley Locomotive Works.jpg	Site shunter.
D6940	37240	37	-	Transrail Grey	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Operational	Yes	Tyseley<ref name=FOVT55/>	37240 passes Barton-under-Needwood 37240 passes Barton-under-Needwood	Acquired in 2022.
D1755	47773	47	-	BR Two-Tone Green	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Operational	Yes	Tyseley<ref name=FOVT55/>	File:BR Class 47 no 47773 at Llandudno.JPG	Repainted in May 2021.
D433	50033	50	Glorious	BR Blue Large Logo	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Operational	No	Kidderminster<ref name=FOVT55/>	File:Hugh llewelyn 50 033 (5561082796).jpg	On three year loan to the Fifty Fund.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
4	-	-	-	Sutton Red	Tyseley Miniature Railway Project	Operational	No	Tyseley<ref name="Project" />		15Inch Gauge

Former locomotives

• LMS Jubilee Class 5593 Kolhapur: sold to West Coast Railways and left in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• GWR 5700 Class 0-6-0PT No 7760: sold to a private buyer and left in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

External links

• Vintage Trains official site
• Tyseley Stock and In The Works Lists
• Double Headed Castle's Shareholder Trip (04/03/23)