The story of how a small group of entrepreneurs from Birmingham became involved in railway preservation, and of the legacy that their actions have created. The story is told through the first hand experience of author, Michael Whitehouse, who has been involved on the inside track of privately preserved main line steam ever since it began around 1964.
The story actually begins at the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, where the restoration of a steam locomotive became the group’s first preservation effort, before moving even further afield to the fledgling Dart Valley Railway in Devon. Here, the heritage line was established and both Great Western ‘Small Prairie’ tank No. 4555 and the last GW-designed ‘Castle’, No. 7029 Clun Castle were successfully acquired.
The story then moves on to Tyseley, where a well-equipped railway workshop was established and subsequently developed for commercial heritage use, and to facilitate the running of regular steam express dining car trains. Today, Tyseley is a thriving commercial undertaking, combining engineering excellence with the operational expertise required to operate steam on the main line for the enjoyment of so many.
The Tyseley Story: Seventy Years of Railway Pioneering in Birmingham is well illustrated, mainly in colour. Hardback. 248 pages.