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Vintage Trains Home Page Birmingham Moor Street Restoration Steam Train
updated 30/12/07
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Tyseley Locomotive Works assisted with the restoration of
Birmingham Moor Street Station
plaque Chiltern Railways & The Birmingham Alliance have been presented with The Railway Heritage Trust Award for 2004 for the restoration of Moor Street Station. These plaques were unveiled on 1st February 2005. Click on either/both of the two plaque images to see a larger image of the two commemorative plaques. The left one marks the reopening of the station. The right one marks the very well deserved and coveted award. plaque
Moor Street Lawn
Moor Street Station November 2003 - refurbished and resplendent in 1930s condition               Photo Maurice Howes


Bullring Birmingham gives the original Moor Street station a new lease of life ....the changing fortunes of Birmingham's terminal station...with regular steam train workings>>.

The original GWR Moor Street station (which was built by the GWR and opened in 1908) survived the closures of the 1960's and 1970's and was retained solely for the commuter service to Stratford-upon-Avon.  Although that service and the station were both under threat of closure.  They survived thanks to a very active and concerted campaign to prevent closure and both eventually went on to prosper.  The commuter service along the "main line" to Solihull and Leamington Spa was transferred back from New Street as local rail travel saw a revival.  The station at Snow Hill (which had been closed in the 1970's and demolished) was rebuilt and opened in 1987.  Trains once more travelled under the Birmingham City Centre through the famous Snow Hill Tunnel.  However this meant that the original Moor Street terminal station was redundant and a new modern station was built alongside the original on the former non-stop lines (at the south end of the tunnel).

6024 passing Moor Street
6024 King Edward I Paddington bound passes
through the 1980's Moor Street platforms

On the final day of operation of the old Moor Street terminal station, Birmingham Railway Museum organised a number of Moor Street to Dorridge shuttles using GWR 4-6-0 7029 Clun Castle & LMS 2-6-0 46443 on alternate trains.  The penultimate train hauled by 46443 continued on to Stratford running through Claverdon (the old route to Stratford) and returning up the North Warwickshire line (now known as the Shakespeare Line).  The final train of the day was hauled by Clun Castle and this was also the last train out of the old Moor Street before the gates were closed and the original Moor Street "dead end" platform lines were severed from the National Rail network.  The running lines from the south were "slewed across" to connect up with the new through platform lines and the tunnel to Snow Hill.  Fortunately, that wasn't the end of the story...... 

The original Moor Street station became derelict over the years, and commuters using the new through platforms could be forgiven for wondering why this growing eyesore was left as it was.  However, it was and is a Grade II listed building and as part of the BULLRING Birmingham development there was an agreement to restore the original Edwardian Moor Street station to its former glory.  As commuters can now see, it is being magnificently restored to its 1930's condition, incorporating a subtle blend of modern facilities (such as a wine bar, a coffee bar, a shop and other kiosks) housed wherever possible in the original buildings or where necessary, new buildings to a matching design.  The refurbished station will eventually be connected to the mainline network again and provide a Birmingham terminal station for Chiltern Railways for trains from London Marylebone that will travel along the former GWR route.

Tyseley Locomotive Works (the engineering subsidiary of the Birmingham Railway Museum Trust) is playing a prominent part in the return of the the old GWR station at Moor Street.  Just as it played a part in it's sad closure.  The Museum is donating the original entrance gates rescued from the old Snow Hill Station for use at the restored station.

Significantly, the refurbished station is being equipped with traditional watering facilities for use by steam locomotives.  An original water crane, again provided by Tyseley Locomotive Works, will be returned near to its original position at the end of Platform 2 and a water tank has been built and erected with the assistance of Tyseley Locomotive Works.  Locomotive run-round facilities will be provided so it is intended that the Shakespeare Express will eventually use this station as the northern terminus, so returning Moor Street to its original reason for being i.e. to be a start point for steam trains that run to Stratford down the North Warwickshire line.  This is seen as a key attraction in the promotion of BULLRING Birmingham and Birmingham City Centre, encouraging visitors from the south to take a nostalgic express steam train to Birmingham for shopping, site-seeing or visiting other city attractions. 

Shakespeare Express
4965 Rood Ashton Hall at the head of the Shakespeare Express
Photo Chris Morrison
2885 on display
GWR 8F 2-8-0 No 2885 cosmetically restored stands on display
at Moor Street on 01/02/05        Photo Brian Wilson

The original entrance gates from the old Snow Hill Station will be used in the station and the restored wrought iron Booking Hall entranceway from Snow Hill will form a focal point for the station entrance. Platform signs and seating will be replicas of the originals, and the station lighting will be provided by reproduction GWR lamps.  Tyseley Locomotive Works is also providing refurbished traditional buffers and railings. 

The existing through lines platforms built in 1987 have also been incorporated within the refurbishment and the 1980's style platform buildings and canopies have made way for replacements complementary with the restoration of the original station. A new GWR style footbridge incorporating lifts has been built between Platfroms 1 & 2.


Although the restored original station buildings will be used from July 2003, unfortunately it will not be possible to relay the track, connect it to the National Rail network and provide signalling until later.  In the meantime, at least one of the original platforms will see some use!  A GWR 2-8-0 freight engine number 2885 has been cosmetically restored by Tyseley Locomotive Works and has been taken to Moor Street as a static exhibit to be a foretaste of the steam trains to come.

Meanwhile, Tyseley's GWR 4-6-0 4965 Rood Ashton Hall will call at the station on summer Sundays with the Shakespeare Express and at other times on Vintage Trains steam excursions.

Water Tower
A water tank built to a traditional GWR design installed
at Moor Street           Photo Tony Dalley

In 2007, Vintage Trains will be running a Sundays only Shakespeare Express every week from 1 July to 2 Sept.  All of these trains will stop at Moor Street to pick up or set down passengers.  See details>>.

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