Vintage Trains


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.

Mainline Locomotives

Vintage Trains operates many steam and diesel locomotives on its mainline railtours.

Steam locomotives

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.
All engines used on VT's tours will be operated under vacuum braking, engines which do have dual/air braking fitted can be used on VT tours but only operated under vacuum braking.
NumberNameClassLiveryOwnerTOPS NoMax SpeedLocationPhotographPresent StatusMainline CertifiedNotes
4936Kinlet HallGWR "Hall" 4-6-0BR Green, Late Crest Jon Jones Pratt9853660 mphTyseleyUnder OverhaulNo, to be certified
4965Rood Ashton HallGWR "Hall" 4-6-0GWR GreenTyseley Locomotive Works9856560 mphTyseleyStoredNo, to be certifiedWithdrawn from service in September 2019
5043Earl of Mount EdgcumbeGWR "Castle" 4-6-0BR Green, Early Emblem Tyseley Locomotive Works9874375 mphTyseleyUnder OverhaulNo, to be certifiedFitted with double chimney.
5080DefiantGWR "Castle" 4-6-0GWR GreenTyseley Locomotive Works9878075 mphTyseleyStoredNoFunding for overhaul underway by "The Defiant Club".
6880Betton GrangeGWR "Grange" 4-6-0BR Green, Late Crest The Betton Grange Society9858060 mphTyseleyUnder ConstructionNo, to be certifiedNew build of next member of class being completed at Tyseley.
Will use loaned tender on completion, will be mainline certified at later date.
7029Clun CastleGWR "Castle" 4-6-0BR Green, Late CrestTyseley Locomotive Works9872975 mphTyseleyOperationalYesFitted with double chimney.
7752-GWR "5700 Pannier Tank" 0-6-0GWR Unlined Green, Great Western letteringTyseley Locomotive Works9845245 mphTyseleyOperationalYes
7760-GWR "5700 Pannier Tank" 0-6-0GWR Unlined Green, Great Western letteringTyseley Locomotive Works9846045 mphTyseleyStoredNo
9600-GWR "8750 Pannier Tank" 0-6-0BR Black, Early EmblemTyseley Locomotive Works9845745 mphTyseleyStoredNo
45305Alderman A.E. DraperLMS "Black 5" 4-6-0BR Black, Late Crest5305 Locomotive Association9850560 mphLoughboroughOperationalYes
5593KolhapurLMS "Jubilee" 4-6-0LMS Crimson LakeTyseley Locomotive Works9869375 mphTyseleyStoredNo
45596BahamasLMS "Jubilee" 4-6-0BR Green, Late CrestBahamas Locomotive Society9869675 mphHaworthOperationalYesOnly surviving jubilee with double chimney.
Returned to mainline on 15 Jan 2019.
71000Duke of GloucesterBR Standard Class 8 4-6-2BR Green, Early Emblem Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust9880275 mphTyseleyUnder OverhaulNo, to be certifiedTo be based at Tyseley following overhaul.
Will temporarily wear the name Robert Riddles for one month on completion in 2020.

Diesel locomotives

Also in previous years Vintage Trains has operated charters using electric and diesel traction that hasn't 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, Class 20 20007. The company has also used various other diesels, such as West Coast Railways' own Class 33 and Class 47 diesels.

Vintage Trains Community Benefit Society

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.
In late 2016, Vintage Trains lodged an application with the Office of Rail & Road to operate trains in its own right. To come up with the £800,000 required for the licence, a share float was launched with Adrian Shooter named as chairman. 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. 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.