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| Reporting mark | TY |
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| Website | www.vintagetrains.co.uk |
Vintage Trains is an operator of heritage railtours in the United Kingdom. It is a subsidiary of Birmingham Railway Museum Trust, and is based at Tyseley Locomotive Works, the trust's other subsidiary.[ citation needed ]
Vintage Trains operates many steam and diesel locomotives on its mainline railtours.
Locomotives listed here are not all owned by Tyseley Locomotive Works as some are owned by private societies, but are made available to operate on the mainline by their respective owners (assuming they have the appropriate mainline certification).
All engines used on VT's tours are operated under vacuum braking, engines which do have dual/air braking fitted can be used on VT tours but only operated under vacuum braking.
| Number | Name | Class | Livery | Owner | TOPS No | Max Speed | Location | Photograph | Present Status | Mainline Certified | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4936 | Kinlet Hall | GWR "Hall" 4-6-0 | BR Green, Late Crest (on completion) | Jon Jones Pratt | 98536 | 60 mph | Tyseley |  | Under Overhaul | No, to be certified | |
| 4965 | Rood Ashton Hall | GWR "Hall" 4-6-0 | GWR Green (on completion) | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98565 | 60 mph | Tyseley |  | Stored | No | Withdrawn from service in September 2019 Overhaul due to commence in March 2024 with conversion from coal to oil-burning being undertook. [1] |
| 5043 | Earl of Mount Edgcumbe | GWR "Castle" 4-6-0 | BR Green, Early Emblem (on completion) | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98743 | 75 mph | Tyseley |  | Operational | Yes (2023 - ongoing) | Fitted with double chimney. |
| 5080 | Defiant | GWR "Castle" 4-6-0 | GWR Green | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98780 | 75 mph | Tyseley |  | Stored | No | Funding for overhaul underway by "The Defiant Club". [2] 5080's tender is undergoing overhaul with completion expected before the end of 2024. The engines boiler is due to be assessed in 2024 to ascertain how much it will cost to overhaul. [3] |
| 5952 | Cogan Hall | GWR "Hall" 4-6-0 | N/A | Tyseley Locomotive Works[ citation needed ] | 985## | 60 mph | Tyseley |  | Stored | No | Undergoing Cosmetic Restoration from scrapyard condition. Restoration to commence on completion of 6880. |
| 6880 | Betton Grange | GWR "Grange" 4-6-0 | BR Green, Late Crest (on completion) | The Betton Grange Society[ citation needed ] | 98580 | 60 mph | Tyseley |  | Under Construction | No | New build of next member of class being completed at Tyseley. Will use loaned tender on completion, will be mainline certified at later date. |
| 7029 | Clun Castle | GWR "Castle" 4-6-0 | BR Green, Late Crest | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98729 | 75 mph | Tyseley |  | Operational | Yes (2017 - ongoing) | Fitted with double chimney. |
| 7752 | - | GWR "5700 Pannier Tank" 0-6-0 | GWR Unlined Green, Great Western lettering | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98452 | 45 mph | Tyseley |  | Stored | No | Boiler ticket expired 2021 |
| 9600 | - | GWR "8750 Pannier Tank" 0-6-0 | BR Black, Early Emblem | Tyseley Locomotive Works | 98457 | 45 mph | Tyseley |  | Stored | No | |
| 45305 | Alderman A.E. Draper | LMS "Black 5" 4-6-0 | BR Black, Late Crest | 5305 Locomotive Association | 98505 | 60 mph | Loughborough |  | Under Overhaul | No | |
| 45596 | Bahamas | LMS "Jubilee" 4-6-0 | BR Green, Late Crest | Bahamas Locomotive Society | 98696 | 75 mph | Haworth |  | Operational | Yes (2019 - ongoing) | Only surviving jubilee with double chimney. Returned to mainline on 15 Jan 2019. [4] |
| 6233 | Duchess of Sutherland | LMS "Princess Coronation" 4-6-0 | LMS Crimson Lake | Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust | 98834 | 75 mph | Butterley |  | Operational | Yes |
Loco numbers in bold mean their current number.
| Pre-TOPS Number | TOPS Number | Class | Name | Livery | Owner | Status | Mainline Certified | Location | Photograph | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6940 | 37240 | 37 | - | Transrail Grey | Tyseley Locomotive Works | Operational | Yes | Tyseley | Acquired in 2022. | |
| D1755 | 47773 | 47 | - | BR Two-Tone Green | Tyseley Locomotive Works | Operational | Yes | Tyseley |  | Repainted in May 2021. |
| D433 | 50033 | 50 | Glorious | BR Blue Large Logo | Tyseley Locomotive Works | Operational | No | Kidderminster |  | On three year loan to the Fifty Fund. [5] |
| D8142 | 20142 | 20 | Sir John Betjeman | London Transport | Michael Owen Railtours | Operational | Yes | Tyseley |  | On hire to Vintage Trains from July 2019 onwards. [6] [7] |
| D8189 | 20189 | 20 | - | BR Blue | Michael Owen Railtours | Operational | Yes | Tyseley | On hire to Vintage Trains from September 2019 onwards.[ citation needed ] |
Also, in previous years, Vintage Trains has operated charters using electric and diesel traction that has not already been mentioned above, now back at other locations, including Class 86 86259 Les Ross, Class 47 47580 County of Essex, Class 50 50049 Defiance, Class 50 50007 Hercules [8] and Class 20 20007. The company has also used various other diesels, such as West Coast Railways' own Class 33 and Class 47 diesels.
Rolling stock listed here is not all owned by Tyseley Locomotive Works as some is owned by private societies, but is made available to operate on the mainline by their respective owners (assuming they have the appropriate mainline certification).
| Number | Description | Current Status | Livery | Photograph | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. W96100 | BR GUV | Operational | Brown |  | General Utility van. Now converted as a water carrier for mainline steam railtours. |
| No. W35470 | BR Mk1 BSK | Operational | Chocolate & Cream |  | Support coach for Vintage Trains Locomotives. |
| No. W17018 | BR Mk1 BFK | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. 335 | BR Mk1 Pullman Kitchen Second | Operational | Umber & Cream | ||
| No. 349 | BR Mk1 Pullman Parlour Second | Operational | Umber & Cream | ||
| No. 353 | BR Mk1 Pullman Parlour Second | Operational | Umber & Cream | ||
| No. 311 | BR Mk1 Pullman Kitchen First | Operational | Umber & Cream | Named Eagle. Restored in 2018. Restoration featured on Channel 4 TV series 'Great Rail Restorations with Peter Snow'. | |
| No. W5157 | BR Mk2a TSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. W5177 | BR Mk2a TSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. W5191 | BR Mk2a TSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. W5198 | BR Mk2a TSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. W5212 | BR Mk2a TSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream | ||
| No. W9101 | BR Mk2a BSO | Operational | Chocolate & Cream |  |
Until late 2017, Vintage Trains operated its railtours with West Coast Railways providing the crews, WCRC being the only charter operator available who would operate vacuum braked trains as none of the engines based at Tyseley are fitted with air brakes. But from 2018, it was announced that due to a falling number of crews being available, WCR said they were unable to provide footplate crews to operate VT's trains and as a result of this, the early 2018 railtour programme which had been planned including the planned debut run of 7029 Clun Castle had to be cancelled. [9]
In late 2016, Vintage Trains lodged an application with the Office of Rail & Road to operate trains in its own right. [10] To come up with the £800,000 required for the licence, a share float was launched with Adrian Shooter named as chairman. [11] [12] [13] Vintage Trains Community Benefit Society was set up in late 2017 as a publicly owned company and in order to fund the company began recruiting members of the public to become shareholders in the company by purchasing shares (minimum available for purchase being £500 per share). [14] The licence was granted with its first train being a test of a Class 230 between Bedford and Bletchley on 27 September 2018 for Vivarail. [15] [16]
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in the United States, primarily on narrow-gauge railroads. Their limitations caused them to be progressively superseded by compressed air systems starting in the United Kingdom from the 1970s onward. The vacuum brake system is now obsolete; it is not in large-scale usage anywhere in the world, other than in South Africa, largely supplanted by air brakes.
The 4073 or Castle Class are 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway, built between 1923 and 1950. They were designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains. They could reach speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).
The British Rail Class 55, also known as a Deltic, or English Electric Type 5, is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric for British Railways. Twenty-two locomotives were built, designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) between Edinburgh and London King's Cross. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which in turn was named after its Napier Deltic power units. At the time of their introduction into service in 1961, the Class 55s were the most powerful single-unit diesel locomotives in the world, with a power output of 3,300 hp (2,500 kW). They had an official maximum speed of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), and introduced the first regular 100 mph diesel passenger service to Britain, they were however capable of higher speeds than this, and often exceeded their official maximum in service, especially in their later years, with speeds of up to 117 miles per hour (188 km/h), being recorded on level gradients, and up to 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) whilst descending Stoke Bank.
FM Rail was a railway charter company based in Derby, England. The company was formed when spot hire company Fragonset Railways and charter operator Merlin Rail merged. It went into administration in 2006.
West Coast Railways (WCR) is a railway spot-hire company and charter train operator based at Carnforth MPD in Lancashire. Using buildings and other facilities previously owned by the Steamtown Carnforth visitor attraction, in June 1998 the company became the first privately owned company to be given a licence as a train operating company.
The Blue Pullmans were luxury trains used from 1960 to 1973 by British Rail. They were the first Pullman diesel multiple units, incorporating several novel features.
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, built in 1908 to accommodate expanding operations in the West Midlands, particularly the opening of the North Warwickshire Line as a new main line from Birmingham to Bristol.
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages are British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975 and were of steel construction.
The British Rail Class 50 is a class of diesel locomotives designed to haul express passenger trains at 100 mph (160 km/h). Built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows between 1967 and 1968, the Class 50s were initially on a 10-year lease from English Electric Leasing, and were employed hauling express passenger trains on the then non-electrified section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Scotland. Initially numbered D400–D449 and known as English Electric Type 4s, the locomotives were purchased outright by British Rail (BR) at the end of the lease and became Class 50 in the TOPS renumbering of 1973.
The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a Type 5 locomotive, with a Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 bhp, and has a Co-Co wheel arrangement. Enthusiasts nicknamed them "Gridirons", due to the grid-like horn cover on the locomotive's cab ends fitted to nos. 56056 onwards. Under its Romanian railway factory nomenclature, the locomotive was named Electroputere LDE 3500, with LDE coming from Locomotivă Diesel-Electrică and the 3500 being the planned horsepower output.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) steam locomotive No. 4936 Kinlet Hall is a preserved 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive
Mendip Rail Ltd is an independent freight operating railway company in Great Britain. It is a joint venture composed of the rail-operation divisions of Aggregate Industries and Hanson Aggregates.
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent customers.
The GWR 4073 Class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a steam locomotive of the GWR 'Castle' Class, built in March 1936. It was originally named Barbury Castle, and was renamed Earl of Mount Edgcumbe in September 1937. It had a double chimney and 4 row superheater fitted in October 1958.
GWR 4073 Class 5080 Defiant is a GWR 4073 Class steam locomotive built for the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works in May 1939. It was originally named Ogmore Castle.
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) is a railway preservation group founded in 1964 and operating throughout Ireland. Mainline steam train railtours are operated from Dublin, while short train rides are operated up and down the platform at Whitehead, County Antrim, and as of 2023, the group sometimes operates mainline trains in Northern Ireland using hired-in NIR diesel trains from Belfast. The RPSI has bases in Dublin and Whitehead, with the latter having a museum. The society owns heritage wagons, carriages, steam engines, diesel locomotives and metal-bodied carriages suitable for mainline use.
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not normally available using timetabled passenger services. The 'unusual' aspect may be the route of the train, the destination, the occasion, specific sections of railway track, the locomotive hauling the train, the rolling stock, or any combination of these. Organisers may own or hire locomotives or rolling stock, or tours may be organised by railway management or other bodies outside the railway fraternity. Perhaps the most famous railtour in England was the Fifteen Guinea Special, the last steam hauled main line train run by British Rail. Railtours are often identifiable through the use of a train headboard, often identifying the name of the specific tour or the tour operator. On TOPS, railtours are usually given a 1Zxx headcode. Exceptions to this rule include regularly scheduled railtours such as the Belmond British Pullman operated Venice-Simplon Orient Express trains.
The Deltic Preservation Society is a railway preservation group based in England. The society is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the remaining Class 55 "Deltic" diesel locomotives operated by British Rail from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The Deltic 9000 Fund was a locomotive preservation society set up to ensure that at least one example of the British Rail Class 55 diesel locomotives was preserved following their withdrawal from service in 1981. It was placed in receivership in 2004.
Locomotive Services Limited is a train operating company in Great Britain. The company operates rail tours using heritage steam, diesel and electric locomotives with support from associated companies and trusts.