Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1971
 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 1971. The first full year of SVR operation saw the arrival of Sir Gerald Nabarro.
A double album LP entitled Severn Valley Railway: Sound & Songs was produced by John Baxter and Peter Lingwood for the Severn Valley Railway. A copy is held in the national collection.[1]
February 1971[edit | edit source]
On 16 February a total price of £74,000 was finally agreed, subject to contract, for the southern section of the line between Alveley Sidings and Foley Park the new boundary with BR being at a point 200 yards east of Foley Park Halt.
March 1971[edit | edit source]
LMS Ivatt Mogul 2MT No 46521 arrived from Barry Scrapyard on 20 March (later to become the first Barry restoration to enter service on the SVR in 1974)
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Bridgnorth in March 1971 (Wikimedia Commons)
April 1971[edit | edit source]
BR Standard 7MT No 70000 Britannia arrived on 9 April.
On 10 April the SVR’s first Diesel, Highflyer arrived. A summer timetable began on the same day between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, running at weekends and bank holidays until 31 October, with an hourly service on the busiest days operated by either one or two steam locos plus Railcar 22.
May 1971[edit | edit source]
Sir Gerald Nabarro, the Conservative MP for South Worcestershire, advised the line to form a holdings company and to raise the cash for purchase of the southern portion of the line through a share offer. At the Guarantee Company AGM on 1 May 1971 Nabarro was elected to the Board of Directors, and the plans were announced to form the Public Company. This would have a capital of £150,000, of which £110,000 would be new money raised by the public share issue. The Guarantee Company would be wound up, with £40,000 of shares being vested in a Members’ Association, the Severn Valley Railway Association, in exchange for the assets it formerly held in the northern section. However in late 1971 it transpired that it was not possible to transfer the Light Railway Order from the Guarantee Company to another company, hence that company would need to remain in existence. The meeting was then adjourned until later in the year.
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Sir Gerald Nabarro on the footplate of 45110 at Bridgnorth in 1971
BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No 80079 arrived from Barry Scrapyard on 15 May.
June 1971[edit | edit source]
GWR Collett 5700 0-6-0PT No 5764 arrived on 19 June.
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Arrival of 5764 (David Cooke)
July 1971[edit | edit source]
The Severn Valley Railway Association was formed at a meeting on 17 July.
August 1971[edit | edit source]
On 6 August the Guarantee Company AGM reconvened to discuss Nabarro’s plans for restructuring the railway, which had been circulated by letter with a recommendation by Chairman Andrew Marsden-Smedley. After lengthy discussion the members agreed to these proposals.
Ex-MOD Hunslet WD Austerity 0-6-0ST WD 193 arrived on 7 August.
September 1971[edit | edit source]
45110 received the name ‘R.A.F. Biggin Hill’ in a ceremony at Bridgnorth on 12 September.
Ex Longmoor Military Railway WD Austerity 2-10-0 No 600 Gordon arrived on 20 September on loan from The Transport Trust.
October 1971[edit | edit source]
The Severn Valley Railway Association was formally constituted at a meeting on 16 October. Its principal objects were to safeguard the interests of the members of the Guarantee Company and to promote the efficient organisation, financial standing and growth of the Severn Valley Railway.
Steam locomotives used[edit | edit source]
A table of steam locomotives used and their mileages can be found on the Steam Locomotive Mileages page.
See also[edit | edit source]
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Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Science Museum Group, object description (Retrieved 22 September 2004)