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Tyseley Locomotive Works and VT Matters

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Chime Whistle, May 16, 2019.

  1. Chime Whistle

    Chime Whistle New Member

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    Tyseley Locomotive Works is home to three ex-Great Western Railway 57XX pannier tanks, all of which have run on the main line in preservation. These engines are great workhorses, powerful for their size and flexible in their use. None is currently available for main line use but as the little stars of the Tyseley Locomotive Works fleet they receive many enquiries as to their current state of use - so here is an update on all three.


    Pannier twins 7752 and 7760 were built within the same Lot number by the North British Locomotive Works in 1930. 7752 was shedded at Tondu and 7760 at Oxford, working the Morris Cowley branch. Both ended their commercial working lives working for London Transport. 7752 ran the last official LT steam train but 7760 was the last loco in steam finalising the shunting on the same day in 1971.


    9600 was built at Swindon Works in 1945 and was shedded at Swindon, Bristol, Aberdare and Neath, finishing its commercial working life with the NCB at Merthyr Vale colliery.


    Vintage Trains intends that all three panniers will be returned to steam to operate from their historic Tyseley depot and on the main line, also to support the development of the Shakespeare Line as Britain’s premier heritage main line railway, but progress to achieve that aim will depend largely on workshop capacity.


    Whilst both 7760 and 9600 await their turn in the boiler overhaul queue, both are in good condition and neither will require extensive work to return them to main line service. 7752 still has two years to run within its current 10 year boiler period but its wheel tyres are now too thin for main line operation. 7752 was on hire to the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway for the last two summers earning money to buy a new set of tyres, which have now been ordered and are due to be fitted over the winter of 2019/20, so that it can return to the main line during 2020 resplendent in Great Western green livery once again. This year, 7752 is on loan to the West Somerset Railway fulfilling a dual role: assisting WSR operations and also improving its condition with the fitting of a new chimney, minor motion work and a repaint in original GWR livery. It will return to Tyseley for both the June and September open weekends, in the new livery, to operate the site shuttle trains, also being available for WSR services in between times.


    Vintage Trains intends to market 7752 and 7760 in identical liveries as twins to promote their origin at the North British Locomotive Works and their London Transport operations, so they will be available to run both double-headed and singly. Their future lives will be focussed on running steam trains around the West Midlands network.

    Chime Whistle Publishing
    www.chimewhistle.co.uk
     
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  2. Chime Whistle

    Chime Whistle New Member

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    Launch of the Pioneer Inter City Train

    On the Saturday(of the upcoming open weekend), Vintage Trains and Tyseley Locomotive Works will formally announce a project to build a reproduction of the Pioneer Inter City Train, including the fastest standard gauge express steam locomotive of its time. Nicknamed Bloomer, it was originally built in 1850 as a revolutionary design to haul the new London and Birmingham Railway’s express trains to London in only two hours. By coincidence, Rocket’s designer Robert Stephenson was also appointed Chief Engineer of the L&BR.

    Vintage Trains, with Tyseley Locomotive Works, has all the elements of an historic locomotive depot and railway community with geographical importance, direct routes, workshop facilities and maintenance, repair and restoration skills to operate express steam trains. It is also in a unique position to collaborate with HS2 and Birmingham’s Curzon Street development, demonstrating the complete evolution of the steam engine and Britain’s national railway network.

    Birmingham was known worldwide as the “Workshop of the World” and the Pioneer Inter City Train will help to tell the story of Birmingham’s importance in the development of steam engines and the role Britain played in transforming the world through railway engineering.

    Rocket will also be working over the weekend.

    Chime Whistle Publishing

    www.chimewhistle.co.uk
     
    ross likes this.
  3. garth manor

    garth manor Well-Known Member

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    This is June 22nd ?
     
  4. malc

    malc Part of the furniture

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    Is this a revitalisation of existing Bloomer Project that has been ongoing since the 1980s, or is it a new project?
     
  5. Chime Whistle

    Chime Whistle New Member

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  6. Chime Whistle

    Chime Whistle New Member

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    The existing project is near enough complete,so just needs a final push to finish it off.

    Chime Whistle Publishing

    www.chimewhistle.co.uk
     
  7. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    The last we heard was that the Tyseley team were not seeking donations towards the Bloomer project but would accept them if offered. Has that changed?
     
  8. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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  9. Chime Whistle

    Chime Whistle New Member

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    Received press release direct from VT,so never looked at website.

    Chime Whistle Publishing

    www.chimewhistle.co.uk
     
  10. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    sadly too many who pass off text as their own whilst merely repeating a press release . I'd err that they are becoming the scourge of good railway journalism
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2019
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  11. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Why not put that in your posting then?
    As it stands, it reads as though this was your own text, even to the point of adding your own website address at the bottom.

    Martin's point is well made.

    Keith
     
  12. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Moderator Note.

    Just to confirm that this thread is for discussion of general Tyseley related and locomotive activities (as distinct from the VT railtour programme). In that context it is open to all and is not a vehicle for an individual. Whether people from 84E contribute is up to people from 84E.
     
  13. banburysaint

    banburysaint Member

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  14. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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  15. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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  16. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

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    Any news on the Bloomer? A few years ago there was a big fanfare about it being completed, but I've heard nothing since. Has it been shelved again?

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
  17. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    simple is answer is probably No .
     
  18. daveannjon

    daveannjon Well-Known Member

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    There was also an appeal for Thornbury Castle when it was at Tyseley, wonder how much they got?

    Dave
     
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  19. lil Bear

    lil Bear Part of the furniture

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    There's been appeals for 5080 / Pullman Cars / (4)5593 and the Bloomer in recent years with none of these completed.

    Whilst COVID and other things have clearly been a higher priority, maybe time is needed to finish 1x project instead of trying to juggle 3/4...
     
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  20. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

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    Asking this question again. I know COVID changed everyone's priorities, but does anyone know if the Bloomer is shelved again, or if it's being worked on?

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     

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