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Tyseley Locomotive Works

Radiorails

Radiorails

master brummie
I saw this on a railway Forum. It is of interest to the City I believe and I have highlighted the parts I thing interesting and worth comment.

VINTAGE TRAINS APPLIES FOR A PASSENGER CHARTER TRAIN OPERATING LICENCE TO CREATE A HERITAGE RAILWAY COMPANY OPEN TO ALL

  1. For the first time in British history, a charitable trust, Vintage Trains, is promoting an application to the Office of Rail & Road for a licence to operate passenger charter trains on the national network.
    Our charity’s founding, second and third generation teams have been involved with heritage railway preservation continuously since its inception in 1950. Our team was also amongst the pioneers promoting heritage steam trains on the national railway network from 1964 and played a key role in the return of steam to British Railways in 1972 and since privatisation in 1993. Our team has continued to innovate and be at the forefront of developments.

    Operation of heritage steam express trains on the national network is our charity’s reason for being.During the 1970s and 80s heritage charter trains were operated under the control of British Railways and with the co-operation of the Steam Locomotive Operators’ Association. Since railway privatisation in 1993 there have been a number of commercial Train Operating Companies licensed to run steam on the mainline, several of which Vintage Trains have worked with as we promoted our own trains and developed The Shakespeare Express.
    We originally worked with English Welsh & Scottish Railways and our current operator is West Coast Railways, with whom we are continuing to plan future train operations. However, as a charity, we consider we have a duty to prepare for the long-term to ensure heritage steam locomotives continue to operate on the national railway network. This is because our charitable objectives require us to develop sustainable outcomes for public benefit irrespective of personal aspirations.

    So, for the first time in British history, a charitable trust is promoting an application to the Office of Rail & Road for a licence to operate passenger charter trains on the national network. We are doing this so we can play a significant role and be an important national voice ensuring the future running of steam locomotives on the national railway network as the modern railway continues to develop. We know this is a long and complex process and we cannot yet say when we will be able to start to run trains of our own or what the exact arrangements will be, but we believe the time is now right to take steps to secure our long term legacy and purpose. This will provide our charity with ownership of all the elements required: steam locomotives, carriages, a workshop, a depot, a tour promoter and a licence to operate. Only by proceeding in this way do we believe we can create a sustainable future for public benefit. We will take these steps in conjunction with our plans to develop our historic locomotive depot at Tyseley, within the City of Birmingham, as our base for train operations. These ambitions will facilitate securing engineering, operating and business skills for the future. We will also engage with the public in ways we have never done before to ensure they can participate in and derive satisfaction from their involvement with the heritage of steam locomotion, particularly its pivotal role and importance in the development of Birmingham as the “Workshop of the World” which fundamentally changed the world and sowed the seeds for modern civilisation.

    We seek to enable the steam locomotive to continue to fulfil its design purpose by running express trains in the 21st Century to create economic and social improvement, public benefit and enjoyment in the development of a tourist business run by a heritage railway company open to all. In doing so, we will create a firm foundation for our next generation to continue to innovate.

    Michael Whitehouse
    Chairman, Vintage Trains
 
Radiorails said:
I saw this on a railway Forum. It is of interest to the City I believe and I have highlighted the parts I thing interesting and worth comment.

VINTAGE TRAINS APPLIES FOR A PASSENGER CHARTER TRAIN OPERATING LICENCE TO CREATE A HERITAGE RAILWAY COMPANY OPEN TO ALL

  1. For the first time in British history, a charitable trust, Vintage Trains, is promoting an application to the Office of Rail & Road for a licence to operate passenger charter trains on the national network.
    Our charity’s founding, second and third generation teams have been involved with heritage railway preservation continuously since its inception in 1950. Our team was also amongst the pioneers promoting heritage steam trains on the national railway network from 1964 and played a key role in the return of steam to British Railways in 1972 and since privatisation in 1993. Our team has continued to innovate and be at the forefront of developments.

    Operation of heritage steam express trains on the national network is our charity’s reason for being.During the 1970s and 80s heritage charter trains were operated under the control of British Railways and with the co-operation of the Steam Locomotive Operators’ Association. Since railway privatisation in 1993 there have been a number of commercial Train Operating Companies licensed to run steam on the mainline, several of which Vintage Trains have worked with as we promoted our own trains and developed The Shakespeare Express.
    We originally worked with English Welsh & Scottish Railways and our current operator is West Coast Railways, with whom we are continuing to plan future train operations. However, as a charity, we consider we have a duty to prepare for the long-term to ensure heritage steam locomotives continue to operate on the national railway network. This is because our charitable objectives require us to develop sustainable outcomes for public benefit irrespective of personal aspirations.

    So, for the first time in British history, a charitable trust is promoting an application to the Office of Rail & Road for a licence to operate passenger charter trains on the national network. We are doing this so we can play a significant role and be an important national voice ensuring the future running of steam locomotives on the national railway network as the modern railway continues to develop. We know this is a long and complex process and we cannot yet say when we will be able to start to run trains of our own or what the exact arrangements will be, but we believe the time is now right to take steps to secure our long term legacy and purpose. This will provide our charity with ownership of all the elements required: steam locomotives, carriages, a workshop, a depot, a tour promoter and a licence to operate. Only by proceeding in this way do we believe we can create a sustainable future for public benefit. We will take these steps in conjunction with our plans to develop our historic locomotive depot at Tyseley, within the City of Birmingham, as our base for train operations. These ambitions will facilitate securing engineering, operating and business skills for the future. We will also engage with the public in ways we have never done before to ensure they can participate in and derive satisfaction from their involvement with the heritage of steam locomotion, particularly its pivotal role and importance in the development of Birmingham as the “Workshop of the World” which fundamentally changed the world and sowed the seeds for modern civilisation.

    We seek to enable the steam locomotive to continue to fulfil its design purpose by running express trains in the 21st Century to create economic and social improvement, public benefit and enjoyment in the development of a tourist business run by a heritage railway company open to all. In doing so, we will create a firm foundation for our next generation to continue to innovate.

    Michael Whitehouse
    Chairman, Vintage Trains
Click to expand...

I am attaching some photos of steam locos at or near Tyseley Junction, most of them Castle Class and including Pendennis Castle, Clun Castle and Ince Castle. I have cheated slightly by including a photo of Pendennis Castle at Wolverhampton Low Level when it was still in use - sad to watch it deteriorate over the years. These locos were so impressive.

003.jpg 004.jpg 005.jpg 003.jpg 004.jpg 005.jpg 006.jpg 007.jpg 008.jpg 009.jpg 010.jpg 011.jpg 012.jpg
 
I had assumed that the Shakespeare Express was operated by Vintage Trains but this appears not to be the case. Just over two weeks ago, my sister was changing trains at Leamington and saw Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, a Tyseley engine, hauling a train of Pullman cars. I tracked this down to be an excursion train operated by West Coast Railways from Solihull to Salisbury
 
Vintage Trains have registered as a Train Operating Company and will be able to run the trains under their own licence in stead of using West Coast Railways' licence. Adrian Shooter former chairman of Chiltern Railways is involved in this,
See first post above
 
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As i understand it they have to raise an initial 800k in order to secure their future as a prospective TOC.

They have a share issue in progress in order to secure the required amount of money.

Just how far they are along the road to achieving their target i don't know, but fairly well advanced i would guess.
 
Anyone looking for an interested week end (29 and 30 September 2018) could consider this great event - that is if they haven't already. ;) I know some here are great photographers so this - weather permitting - should be good.
https://www.vintagetrains.co.uk/latestevents.aspx

upload_2018-9-6_11-30-5-png.38532
 
I've just booked a ticket. Last went to an open day 2 years ago!

Although that was when the Flying Scotsman paid a visit to Tyseley!



Will probably see these locos again.





And possibly access to the West Midlands Railway diesel depot. (ex London Midland)

 
That would be on the Shakespeare Line but not this weekend. Don't think the Shakespeare Express ran this past summer!

Seen at Hall Green in September 2015.

5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.



And at Snow Hill on the same day 3 years ago.

 
Nice to see L94 back in London Transport livery. I went down to Neasden in 1972 for the last day of steam on London Underground where I saw 4 ex GWR panniers in London Transport livery. I forget which one hauled the actual last train. I thought that in preservation that they should be kept in this unusual livery in which they earned their last day in working service. However the preservationists got hold of them and within 6 months they had all been repainted in GWR livery. To a purist this might be the authentic livery but my view was that there were many panniers in preservation that these could be kept as they last saw service.
 
I was in the UK from Sept 22 to Oct 8, not close to Brum, I would have loved to have experienced this event.
Dave A
 
Polar Express - 4965 Rood Ashton Hall as Polar Star arriving at Birmingham Moor Street Station.











 
Moor Street Station was renovated several years ago when management of it was taken over by Chiltern Railways who reopened some of the platforms for their Birmingham to London Marylebone Services. In one of Ellbrown's photos you can see the contrast between the steam loco and the modern Class 68 Chiltern loco.
 
Platforms 1 to 4 were restored to Edwardian / 1930s style by Chiltern Railways in the 2000s. Platform 3 and 4 reopened in 2010. Platform 5 has been left unrestored (that was where a show locomotive was until it went back to Tyseley).

No 2885 seen at platform 5 in 2010.



At Tyseley in 2016.



Assume that Vintage Trains are restoring it. Didn't see it at the open day 2 months ago.
 
While my train stopped to drop off Blues fans at Bordesley yesterday, saw the Polar Express go by. Bit awkward to get photos of it, but got this of D1755 47 773 at the back.



Later saw it again from my bus heading down Digbeth. It was heading over the Bordesley Viaduct (slowly). Rood Ashton Hall was on the left going backwards! Was unable to get any photos from the bus, was also sat in the aisle seat of a single decker!
 
ellbrown said:
Platforms 1 to 4 were restored to Edwardian / 1930s style by Chiltern Railways in the 2000s. Platform 3 and 4 reopened in 2010. Platform 5 has been left unrestored (that was where a show locomotive was until it went back to Tyseley).
Click to expand...

Actually the current platforms 1 & 2 were new platforms from 1987 when Snow Hill reopened for the Warwickshire lines. Previously there had not been platforms on the Snow Hill Lines. I never used Moor Street in the old days so I am assuming that the present platforms 3 & 4 were originally 1 & 2.

This is a signalling diagram from 1922.
Moor Street Station.jpg
From Wikipedia described as in Public Domain
 
I know but they call the platforms next to the Snow Hill tunnel platforms 1 and 2 (since 1987 to present?). I remember the late 1980s look in the 1990s (when the part now restored was blocked off and left to be derelict). Used to be a ramp that went up from when you got off from the Shirley or Dorridge lines up to Moor Street Queensway.
 
Views from the Bordesley Viaduct in Digbeth, while the Polar Express was stationary.

From Oxford Street / Bordesley Street.





Other side of Oxford Street.





From Milk Street.



 
How about this for an incongruous picture. I wonder how many people spotted it on Panorama on BBC 1 last night in a programme entitled ‘HS2 Going of the Rails’. (Available on iPlayer).



They were filming at Curzon Street Birmingham when a Virgin Pendolino went past on its way to Birmingham New Street Station and, at the same time, a steam train went past on its way to Birmingham Moor Street Station. The steam loco was Rood Ashton Hall masquerading as Polar Star for children’s entertainment in the run up to Christmas.
1545127081649.png
 
Moor Street buildings are not Edwardian, whilst the original terminus was completed in the reign of Edward VII, the goods shed and main station buildings were later and completed when George V was King.

The Goods Sheds were finished during 1914, whilst the station concourse was later.
 
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