TYSELEY TOC SHARE ISSUE BREAKS MINIMUM TARGET

Vintage Trains plans first trains to stratford-upon-Avon with Clun Castle for late summer.

The £3 million share scheme to fund Tyseley’s own train operating company and wider ambitions is to stay open until the end of the year after exceeding its minimum target. Vintage Trains Community Benefit Society announced on June 4 that subscriptions had reached around £850,000 – £50,000 over the minimum set for the initial closing date of May 31. The share issue was launched in December, to support work including coach refurbishment, as well as a TOC intended to run 82 charter trains a year by 2020. VT CBS said it had “made funds available” to train operating arm Vintage Trains Ltd “to secure its passenger charter licence from the ORR and establish its mobilisation plan” as well as authorising Tyseley Locomotive Works to carry out work on coaches. Main line trials with newly overhauled No. 7029 Clun Castle are to start “as soon as VTL receives its steam safety certificate and licence”. “It is wholly appropriate that we begin our steam services with Clun Castle as she inaugurated the Tyseley Collection,” VT CBS said. Commercial Director Ben Mason told Steam Railway that Tyseley is targeting the latter part of the summer ‘Shakespeare Express’ season to start running trains, in late August or early September. The Sunday Birmingham to Stratfordupon-Avon series is expected to run into September. Vintage Trains has not run main line charters since December. Its previous operator was West Coast Railway Company, but the Carnforth organisation said last year it felt “unable to provide services to organisations, such as Tyseley-based Vintage Trains, beyond the end of 2017” (SR474). Chairman of VT CBS is Michael Whitehouse, while that of the train operating subsidiary Vintage Trains Ltd is Adrian Shooter. VTL’s MD is Cath Bellamy. Tyseley is to hold an open weekend on June 30/July 1. For more on this story, see Down Main on p64. For details of the share issue, visit www. vintagetrains.co.uk/OfferInfo.aspx

JOhn hillier Contract work at Vintage Trains’ affiliated Tyseley locomotive Works continues. On June 8, the boiler of ‘Jubilee’ no. 45596 Bahamas is reunited with the frames.