So how come I ended up at Tyseley's Open Weekend in the end? Well, two unrelated things occurred about a week out from the event - the first was the announcement that GWR engines 3717 "City of Truro" and 6000 "King George V" from the National Railway Museum in York would be displayed at Tyseley on their way to being displayed at the STEAM Museum in Swindon. I'd seen both at York, but being able to see both engines displayed outside was very, very rare - plus they would be displayed alongside Tyseley's own GWR engines, meaning you get to see most of the GWR types in one hit. The second was the sudden announcement that 71000 "Duke of Gloucester" would now be restored at Tyseley and not Crewe, while its quick relocation to Tyseley meant it would be present and on display during the Open Weekend. "Duke of Gloucester" is a notable engine that I thought I would not get to see while I was in the UK - it has been stored out of public sight at Crewe awaiting overhaul. When under overhaul at Crewe, that would have been out of public view too so the end result was no chance of seeing it until it was running again - which is after I've left the UK. But with the change to Tyseley, here was an opportunity to see The Duke on display just before they start dismantling it for the overhaul - the only opportunity I would get to see it intact during my time in the UK.
Sasha came too, and after I'd had my fill of wandering around and taking photos we went back to Birmingham and spent the rest of the evening there before catching our train back to London. The weather had been overcast but fined up a little bit by the later afternoon, though was rather chilly - winter is definitely on its way! the previous day had been raining so the Sunday was definitely the day to go.
While there is a distinct possibility that my "train enthusiasm" is hitting an unenthusiastic patch, I am still intent on visiting a few train places or riding behind various steam locomotives on the main line before I have to leave the UK. North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland Railways in particular are definite must-see's for me - and probably bottom-line in terms of rail locations to visit in the UK. A few other of the "Little Trains of Wales" I would like to see too, and the Beamish Museum if they had the Waggonway operating with a few locos but aside from that I'm not certain I'd bust my gut to go to any other standard gauge railways in particular unless there's an event sufficient to pique my interest. To be honest I'm not terribly fussed if I don't make it to Shildon for the rest of the National Railway Museum, although I should do that if given the chance. Otherwise, any train focus is probably going to be on main line excursions and seeing if I can achieve the list I have - not that I care if I don't achieve it all, but a few more to interesting destinations as well as giving me a chance to see the desired locomotives in action would kill two birds with one stone. Make no mistake either, the return of the famous steam locomotive Flying Scotsman early next year will likely give me cause to do a bit more if I don't before then - I notice it will be wearing its current black colours while "running in" at a railway near Manchester in January (an excuse to visit Manchester?) and a ride behind it on the main line is a must, of which there should be a number of suitable opportunities. I won't be on its first main line run, however - that's not something I care too much about, besides I think trying to work out which trip it will actually be ready for could be a bit fraught. Any overseas trains? possibly, although they're more likely to be normal trains rather than special excursions. We'll see...