Tyseley Locomotive Works
Working steam locomotive depot in Tyseley, home of Vintage Trains, opening to visitors only for booked depot tours and open weekends.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Tyseley Locomotive Works occupies part of the former Great Western Railway depot at Tyseley in Birmingham. In 1966 Patrick Whitehouse bought the Castle class locomotive Clun Castle and formed a company to own it and find a base at Tyseley, and in 1968 a second locomotive was added. Supporters then set up a charity, the Standard Gauge Steam Trust, which leased much of the depot, gathered locomotives and railway items released as lines closed, and turned the site into the Birmingham Railway Museum.
In 1999 regular main-line steam services began with the Shakespeare Express between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon. The organisation was then split into three bodies: Tyseley Locomotive Works for engineering, Vintage Trains for train operations and the Tyseley Collection for ownership of the locomotives.
Today the works maintains and restores the steam and diesel fleet of Vintage Trains and also does outside contract work. It is a working railway site rather than a museum with regular opening hours. Visitors can come on guided depot tours, which show the roundhouse turntable, the operating depot, the carriage shed and the signal box, and on occasional open weekends.
Highlights
- Working steam locomotive depot dating from the Great Western Railway
- Roundhouse turntable, carriage shed and signal box
- Preserved locomotives such as Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Clun Castle
- Home of the Shakespeare Express steam trains
- Operated by
- Vintage Trains
Admission & discounts
| Depot guided tour, adult | £17Heritage Week tour of about 2 hours with tea, coffee and biscuits; booking required. |
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| Depot guided tour, child aged 10 to 15 | £9Children under 10 are not admitted on the tour. |
Tour prices are those of the 2026 Heritage Week tours; other tours and open weekends are priced separately and announced by Vintage Trains.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The depot tour involves uneven surfaces, rails and steps and is not accessible for wheelchair users or suitable for people with mobility problems. Pets are not allowed, except guide dogs.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 10+
Children under 10 are not admitted on the depot tour; children aged 10 to 15 must be supervised by an adult.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Tyseley station · 5-min walk
Tyseley station is about a 5-minute walk. Bus 4 stops outside the works on Warwick Road.
By car
Parking available
Parking is available on site; Vintage Trains says free parking at the works is available for passengers on trains starting from Tyseley.
Tyseley station has no lifts to its platforms, only steep stairs.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
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| Photography | Photographs are not permitted in the workshop or where staff are working, and video recording is not allowed on the depot tour. |
| Good to know | The depot tour starts with a briefing and shows the roundhouse footprint and turntable, the depot with operating locomotives (not the engineering workshop), the carriage shed and the signal box. Wear closed, flat, sturdy footwear and weatherproof clothing because part of the tour is outdoors; arrive 30 minutes early. Children aged 10 to 15 must be supervised by an adult. |
