Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970
 Article under construction This article is currently under construction. Further data will be added shortly.
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This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 1970, the year in which the SVR in preservation began operating passenger services between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade.
January 1970 edit
Passenger services between Bewdley, Kidderminster and Hartlebury were withdrawn by BR with effect from 5 January 1970. The last service was the 19:20 DMU from Bewdley to Kidderminster on Saturday 3 January 1970. This resulted in Bewdley Station becoming disused, along with the lines from Bewdley to Stourport and Foley Park. The original Severn Valley Railway remained open for coal traffic between Hartlebury and Stourport Power Station, while a section of “The Loop” remained open between Kidderminster Junction and the British Sugar Corporation factory at Foley Park.
The ground floor sections of the former Pensnett signal box were brought from Pensnett to Hampton Loade for use in rebuilding the signal box there.
February 1970 edit
The Civil Engineering Department welded more than a ton of steel plates onto the bridge girders of Hay Bridge to strengthen it.
On 23 February the SVR entered into an Agreement with Salop County Council that the Company would dedicate the necessary land to build Bridgnorth Bypass, which would sever the line south of Bridgnorth. The SVR would then be responsible for construction of a bridge over the bypass. This agreement was necessary before the LRO could be granted to reopen the line.
March 1970 edit
A Ministry of Transport Railway Inspector visited the SVR in March and made certain recommendations concerning safety aspects.
April 1970 edit
The SVR met with BR on 7 April and agreed the final price for the purchase of the southern section of the line between Alveley Sidings and Foley Park. A letter of intent was sent to BR the following day.
May 1970 edit
Following the inspection visit in March, the second Light Railway Order was granted on 20 May 1970, allowing the SVR to begin running public services between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade.
Whit weekend, Saturday 23 May 1970 saw the official opening of the Severn Valley Railway in preservation, with the first public trains running between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. Loco 3205 hauled the first service, the 14:00 from Bridgnorth. 46443, 43106, 48773 and Railcar 22 were also used over that weekend. The following weekend saw trains begin to run a regular weekend service.
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3205 at Bridgnorth, opening day 1970 (Wikimedia Commons) -
43106 at Bridgnorth, opening day 1970 (Wikimedia Commons) -
Opening day, 1970 (Wikimedia Commons) -
Child ticket 0001 from the opening day -
Child ticket 0001 from the opening day
June 1970 edit
3 weeks after opening a potential problem emerged. Although the LRO gave the Guarantee Company a ‘license’ to operate, the line itself was still owned by BR and therefore subject to the BR steam ban. Services therefore ceased, but within 2 weeks SVR members and well-wishers from around the world had boosted the ‘line fund’ to the extent that the balance of the £25,000 purchase price could be paid to BR. Services then re-commenced, with the line now owned by the SVR itself.
July 1970 edit
By 12 July the 10,000th passenger had already made the return journey to Hampton Loade, the final figure at December would be more than 63,000.
August 1970 edit
LMS Stanier 5MT 45110 arrived on 20 August.
GWR Churchward 4500 'Small Prairie' No 4566 arrived on 25 August.
September 1970 edit
Hollybush Road Footbridge was closed by Bridgnorth council on 30 September.
October 1970 edit
The water tank from Henley in Arden was moved to its new location on the hill behind Bridgnorth station.
Following the closure of Bewdley Station, the SVR advised BR that it was not interested in acquiring any of the line from Bewdley to Stourport, which was affected by a number of road schemes. However the SVR would be interested in acquiring the line from Milepost 144½ at Alveley to Bewdley and Foley Park, in order to maintain their main line access. In October, BR Estates Department advised the SVR that Salop and Worcester County Councils, who legally had first refusal, did not wish to acquire the railway land, and that the cost to the SVR would be £74,000. At an informal General Meeting at Kidderminster Town Hall on 23 October the SVR members agreed in principle to proceed, although the cost was significantly more than the Society had previously raised to date.
November 1970 edit
BR(W) Hawksworth 1500 class 0-6-0PT 1501 arrived on 7 November.
Steam locomotives used edit
A table of steam locomotives used and their mileages can be found on the Steam Locomotive Mileages page.
See also edit
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Notes edit
References edit