Tyseley Open Day 2016

We are not having an Open Weekend this Autumn, we are taking part in Birmingham Heritage Week so the Loco Works are open for three days.
We arrived early, PJ was looking after the car park as usual and I was 'volunteered' to sell tickets at the gate, but I managed to take time off now and again to take photos so here is a photo heavy post!!
Somewhere out there is a road bridge over the railway and that's where lots of folks gather to view the Steam Engines when they are going out on tour.  
I am given to understand that The Flying Scotsman can be seen from there this morning  ...... really?
Now this is a sight you very rarely see ..... the Visitors' Garden .... all kitted out with chairs and tables, ready for the picnicker to sit a while.

I thought I would take a few photos of the engine itself before the paying public were allowed in.

If you look carefully you can just see it peeping out above the huts .....

.....  you'll have to be quick .....

...... steam's up.....!!

I managed to get a little closer, there it is ...
.... parked up ..... 

.....I must walk round to see if I can get any closer ......

Time is getting on so I must get back to my position ready for the gate to open.


Just outside the gates are these two steam engines .... I called them Traction Engines but was quickly told that they were STEAM engines!!



Just look at the queue .....

.... from the gates it snakes across the car park ......

...... way back to the Warwick Road and the main entrance.....

.... and they are still coming .....

.... the gates don't open until 12.00hrs ......




Then the gates are open ...... the engines are flaunting themselves on the turntables .... 

.... and Flying Scotsman  is open for business .... if you haven't pre-booked ... you only get to look and not cross over the tender ......

Towards the end of the day as the cars slowly left the carpark, I noticed that someone else had crept out for a ride round .....


....creeping is not really the way she rolls.....

..... she steams .....

A Charity Event.

A friend has a train in his garden ....... a miniature train of course!  
He held an Open Day for Charity and we were invited .....the instructions read like - when you reach suchandsuch a place take a sharp left and park in the lane.  Walk down the lane to the gate and the train will pick you up in the field ....... 
So we drove out into the Worcestershire countryside and when we reached the lane, we turned sharp left .........
After opening the gate we could see the train line and a paved area so we walked across and, sure enough, we heard the whistle and round a bend in the hilly field appeared the train.

We were not alone by now, several folks had gathered at the 'station' but there were enough seats in the carriages to take us up to the house.
We alighted at the top of the hill after quite a trip round the field as the railway line gradually climbed up the hill.
The house looked to be old and sprawling as most of the country houses tend to be.  We left the station building and walked across the grass, down the steps and into the patio area where most of the folks were gathered.  Details of the named Charity, hot coffee urn, mince pies, chocolates and mulled wine were laid out waiting for us.  We were glad of the hot drinks as the weather had turned damp and miserable, but the company was very friendly and accommodating, did I mention there were a few dogs and children running around undeterred by the weather!!
After a while we wandered back to the Station and sat on the platform just taking in the views of Worcestershire and watching the train as it travelled it circular route.  The engine and carriages are a few years old but this is the Owner's second engine.  He built the line some time ago after acquiring a diesel engine, again with carriage.
As the engine reached the top of the hill, the line veered to the left and completed a circle to come back to the Station in the right direction for the passengers to alight and then travel round the field.

In the middle of this circle was the chicken ranch, the chickens not seeming to be disturbed by the action, steam or noise.Several folks wandered around in freedom and dampness, chatting to other folks and  ..... the chickens!!

We wandered back to the house and had another warm drink and bite to eat.  There were a fair few more folks now, the 'green wellie brigade' in attendance, and DH wished he had worn his flat cap, but ..... never having been here before .... it was difficult to decide on attire!   If we are invited next year we shall know.
I decided to jump on the train and have a couple of circuits of the field and had a smashing time, looking at the views and chatting with fellow passengers.  
I noticed that every now and again, photographers turned up as we went chuff chuff along the line. 
By the way, the guy in the Father Christmas hat in the above photos is the owner of the railway.  He was most unperturbed by all these people and, as he is Chairman of our Loco Works, we already knew he was train barmy.  The Works Manager from Tyseley Vintage Trains had also arrived with his family.

On my circuits I gave a wave out to DH as he sat enjoying the views and chatting.

After a couple of circuits, I climbed out of the carriage and we wandered off to make our donation to Charity and say our goodbyes to the Host and his good wife.
We travelled back to the gate and came home.  We had a thoroughly enjoyable morning and I do so hope we get invited back next Christmas.

Open Day stories

Spring Open Day this year was very different for me as I was not  'on duty' with 6201 - Lizzy.

Most of the engines were 'in steam' again ...................

 .......... small ones .....

...... large ones .....

......small traction engines ....

.... large traction engines ....

..... and lots of visitors in the garden.

One little boy, visiting with his Grandad, had a tomato in his lunch pack and didn't want it ..... really didn't want it!!


I found it three days later ........

it is there .....

really is .......

told you so .........



Ha! Ha!             A good day was had by all!

Sunderland .... and the trains...

We descended from the coach some ways back from the Museum but it was dry so the walk proved not to be a problem.

As we arrived at the trackside we noticed the photographer was all set up and then we heard the whistle  .........
 .... along the track came the Mallard, one of the engines we had come to see.

We could see the trains (The Great Gathering) as we approached the entrance all lined up outside.  Two of the engines were in steam which was a pleasant surprise!


We were allowed in through a side door so didn't have to queue, and we wandered round looking at all the displays.

Some were right old and in a clean but worn condition.

There were the usual trade stands, I bought some Ephemera and collected leaflets as usual.  PJ bought some badges and books.




There were some Royal carriages dating back to 1840.    It was fascinating to look inside, the tiny bed was a shock!  Every room was laid out as though waiting for someone to enter, even though it was all pretend.


I did like the fact that the Museum catered for the children, there were games to play, model railways on show, and even the wagons set up for the little ones.


We had something to eat outside at one of the caravans, they had a tent to one side for eating in and we sat there and enjoyed the most delicious Fish and Chips I have had in a long time.  I suggested they came home with us and taught our local fryers how to cook proper fish and chips!!!  We left after about four hours and wandered back to the coach.  The queue was enormous, at least an hour and a half waiting time long and there were still people coming down the walkway.

All the passengers arrived back at the coach and we left an hour early so that meant we would arrive back at the collection point earlier than planned.  The wonderful driver that we had made sure everyone was dropped down wherever they wanted which meant that the last two couples - us and another - were dropped at the railway station so we could catch our bus home.
What a fantastic weekend!

Open Day at the Railway

We spent all week, and I mean 'we', cleaning the house.  PJ had invited M to stay over so me being me - house to clean top to bottom.
R took me into Training so that I could plant up the 'window boxes' and hang the basket down in the Signal Box garden.  I watered some and weeded a bit then came home - it's hot again.
Open Day was very over cast and then not long after wards it started to rain, then it poured.  I was soaked through.......... to the skin.           So I came home. 

All I managed to see was this visitor from the Talyllyn Railway.   I nearly missed him as I was expecting a full size engine.......... kinda cute though!

By the time I arrived home the sun had come out again but I left 'the boys' to it, they could explore without me ............. explore?!    hmmmm!      more like PJ showing M all about it........
We went to Ming Moon in town for our evening meal and I was very disappointed.  I think I have said before that this restaurant serves a buffet and some excellent Sushi.  Not this time.  No Sushi at all, I was a tad embarrassed as I had bigged them up a bit to M, but there you go.
We didn't go back to the Open Day next day as we had a lazy morning and then went with M to New Street Station in the middle of town.  

This station is the crossing point of England - I believe that all tracks going North and South cross at this point.  
It has soooo changed.


This is how the entrance looked as far as we were concerned.


Now we walk down Stephenson St to the entrance - the station side is lined with shiny metal so it is like walking under and alongside mirrors - different!





The final entrance will be beyond here, at the end of the street and will look like this .............





Nice isn't it?  We'll see, at the moment it looks like this.............


So when we went inside it was all light, airy and bright, shops and escalators............ we followed the signs and ended back in the Palisades shopping area, which was good cos now we knew where we were!!! 
Something familiar, so we had a cup of coffee and a piece of cake (you knew we would!!!) and looked down on the first view of the entrance and discussed the shock we had just gone through.


It is much better than this shot of the station taken in 1912.

Better I suppose than this shot taken in 1980

This is an artist impression of the finished area

and pathways to platforms.

We both agreed it had been interesting and maybe we should go somewhere by train............. just to get a better view of the inside you understand!