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Friday 16th June 2023 09:30-18:00 670 Warwick Road, Birmingham, B11 2HL

Join us at Tyseley Locomotive Works for a full day of photography featuring four GWR Castles

We are delighted to offer a day’s photography in Birmingham at Tyseley Locomotive Works featuring four Castle Class locos with visitor Pendennis Castle joining Clun Castle, Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Defiant

£85.00

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About this event

Join us for a full day of photography featuring no fewer than four Castle Class locomotives together, when No.4079 Pendennis Castle visits Tyseley Locomotive Works in connection with their annual open event in mid-June 2023. This allows the three Castles now based in Birmingham, Nos.7029 Clun Castle, 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and 5080 Defiant to make up a foursome for some very rare photographic opportunities. The site is closed to the public on the day so we will be able to arrange locomotive line-ups without too many people wandering into shot. Having a full day should give us plenty of scope when positioning locos, though bear in mind there will be periods while the engines are moving around when we will need to retire for tea and coffee breaks!

The three working locos, Nos.7029, 4079 and 5043 will be being steamed prior to the public event taking place over the following weekend and No.5080 will be available to be moved into position using a diesel shunter as required - we may manage some steam effects from Defiant courtesy of the trusty smoke machine. The plan is that the four engines will face chimney first out of Birmingham in the morning so that the sun (if available) is on the front of the locos. We will arrange scenes in the yard and probably near the turntable, before turning the locos in the afternoon to line up the Castles outside the old shed. We can arrive on site from 09.30 and will be allowed to remain until the late afternoon (circa 18.00 hours) to use the available light to its maximum effect - there will obviously be some time in between photo opportunities when engines are on the move, but you would expect that as a matter of course. We haven’t ruled out using one or two of the smaller locos in cameos, but are hoping that the four GWR Castles is enough to tempt you for now!

For those planning to make a longer visit, the Museum will be open to the public during both Saturday and Sunday, though opportunities to photograph without the public in shot may be more difficult. On Sunday, it will be possible to travel behind three Castles in one day, as 4079 will be operating the demonstration line at the Museum whilst 5043 (morning) and 7029 (afternoon) will each be making a round trip to Stratford-upon-Avon from Birmingham, so it could be another very special day.

Grateful thanks goes to both Vintage Trains Charitable Trust and the Great Western Society for their help and co-operation in making this charter possible and we hope you will wish to support the day to see this splendid Great Western spectacle.

Event requirements

Equipment

  • Spare batteries
  • Camera
  • Lenses

Knowledge

  • All levels welcome

Fitness

  • Low

Other essentials

  • Sturdy outdoor shoes
  • Wet weather gear

Event location

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