No.3 March 2010 - Intercity Railway Society

Preservation News
Severn Valley Railway by Stephen Skewes:
In May 2010, the SVR celebrates it's 40th anniversary as a heritage railway. In the beginning, the goal
was just to maintain a steam-hauled passenger service between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade in
Shropshire, with a passing-place at Eardington. However, as funds and opportunities allowed,
possession of the whole line was gained in stages, finally reaching Kidderminster in 1984. Some
consider that it would be very difficult to launch such an undertaking nowadays, and certainly the view of
those who run the railway is now much more professional than it was - it has to be.
The SVR's Autumn Steam Gala took place over the last weekend in September 2009 and was attended
by 13 locomotives from near and far, viz:
GNR 0-6-2T 1744 (Great Central Rly)
LMS 2-6-0 Ivatt 4 Mogul 43106 (SVR)
LMS 2-6-2T Ivatt 41241 (Keighley & Worth Valley Rly
LMS 2-6-0 Stanier Mogul 42968 (SVR)
LMS 2-6-0 Ivatt 2 Mogul 46443 (SVR)
GWR 0-6-2T 5643 (Llangollen)
GWR 0-6-0ST 813 (SVR)
GWR 0-6-0PT 5764 (SVR)
GWR 2-6-2 small Prairie tank 4566 (SVR)
GWR 2-6-2 large Prairie tank 5164 (SVR)
GWR 4-6-0 ‘Bradley Manor’ 7802 (SVR)
GWR 4-6-0 ‘Erlestoke Manor’ 7812 (SVR)
GWR 4-6-0 ‘Kinlet Hall’ 4936 (Tyseley)
43106 the 'Flying Pig', had just recently been returned to running order after a 20-year restoration.
However, only 24 hours after the gala, while returning to Bridgnorth with the last train of the day, the
tender managed to derail itself, at very low speed, on the points just south of Hampton Loade station.
Fortunately, no-one was hurt. RAIB soon established that the cause of the trouble was an incorrect
spring on the tender together with a possible twist in the track. Two temporary replacement axles for the
tender were kindly obtained from the Strathspey Railway, while new ones will evidently come from South
Africa. The damaged points were temporarily replaced by straight track, allowing trains to run through to
Bridgnorth using only a single platform at Hampton Loade (so no passing of trains there) with an abrupt
change in the timetable. However, after the Christmas / New Year season, the affected track was lifted
in order to investigate the foundation underneath and then to rebuild it more firmly. Since then, the usual
SVR weekend services have been restricted to the southern half of the route between Kidderminster and
Highley. New points have now (February 2010) been installed and normal services to Bridgnorth are
expected to restart early in March.
Had the derailment happened during the gala, the consequences would have been much more serious,
with even greater loss of revenue to the railway. Another consequence is that the SVR will have to
review some of it's documentation, even down to the servicing of coach slam-door locks, especially as a
comprehensive visit from HMRI is anticipated this year. The SVR is regarded as helping to set an
example for other heritage railways.
In October last year, the station footbridge at Highley was erected in time for the long-delayed formal
opening of the Engine House by the SVR's patron, HRH the Duke of Gloucester. One of the exhibits
there, the SVR's GW 0-6-0PT 1501, has now been taken out for attention in the workshops at
Bridgnorth. LMS Royal Saloon 798, built in 1941, has arrived on the SVR from Glasgow Museum of
Transport, and is waiting to be shunted into the Engine House for display.
At the end of October, in the schools' half-term week, the SVR was very pleased to receive a visit from
BR A1 Pacific 60163 'Tornado'. This much-heralded locomotive drew large crowds to the railway. The
SVR itself also has a new locomotive under construction - a Riddles class 3MT 2-6-2T 82045. The
frames of this engine are now standing at Bridgnorth and progress is being made on fabricating or
collecting other patterns and parts.
The SVR has long needed a Wheel Drop to facilitate locomotive maintenance. Such equipment was
obtained from Leicester Midland MPD and is now being installed in Bridgnorth MPD. This is expensive,
of course, but is seen as an investment both for the SVR and for outside contract work.
For further information, please visit the SVR website at www.svr.co.uk or telephone 01299 403816.
9