Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1975
This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 1975. The 1975 timetable included 118 running days between March and October, with 554 trains in each direction. The 'shuttle service' between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade was discontinued as experience showed the majority of passengers wanted to travel through to Bewdley.
Early 1975[edit | edit source]
Work continued to reinsate the loop at Arley, including reconstructing the signal box.
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The part-reconstructed box on 26 January 1975
(Brian Moone/SVR News) -
Relaying the Up line (David Cooke)
In spring 1975 a structural analysis of bridges along the line was prepared in order to seek permission to increase the limit,[1] with the intention of upgrading the line to a 20½ ton axle weight.[2]
Announcements were made that Invicta had been sold to members of the Chasewater Light Railway and would be leaving the SVR. Also, despite appearing in the 1974 SVR Stock Book, GWR 'Large Prairie' 4110 would not be coming to the SVR as planned, but would instead go to the WSR.[3][4] However Railcar 22 would remain on loan from the Great Western Society for another 5 years.[5]
Removal of the old Exeter shed at Bridgnorth MPD was completed, allowing the construction project for the new Bridgnorth Loco Works to begin in April.
May 1975[edit | edit source]
Arley Loop was opened on 25 May with special DoE permission and using flag signalmen, allowing a Spring Bank Holiday 45-minute service from Bridgnorth to Bewdley with 4 train sets, instead of the existing 90-minute service.[6] 46521 and 43106 were the first trains to pass at Arley.[7] The DoE permission was subsequently extended to allow continued use of the loop with hand signalling until the signal box was formally commissioned, which took place in April 1976.[8]
June 1975[edit | edit source]
The SVR membership topped 5,000 at the start of the month.[9]
The main girders and associated steelwork of the underbridges at Hampton Loade and Hay were replaced during the first two weeks of June, the new bridges being fabricated by Rubery Owen Limited using a similar design to the underbridge replaced at Highley the year before.[10]
July 1975[edit | edit source]
An event was held at Castle Hall, Bridgnorth to mark the 10th Anniversary of the formation of the Severn Valley Railway Society.[11]
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10th Anniversary poster
German 2-6-2T DB 64.305 arrived on 17 July, completing a move that began in Weiden, West Germany in September 1974.[12]
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64 305 in Bridgnorth Yard in 1975
(David Cooke)
August 1975[edit | edit source]
Four SVR engines and three carriages attended the Rail 150 celebrations at Shildon, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. 600 Gordon travelled light engine to Shildon, later followed by a three coach train comprising 8233 (pilot), 43106, Clapham Buffet 9631, LMS 26986 and LNER Passenger Brake 4236. 813, which has been cosmetically restored for the event, went by road. Future SVR resident GWR 6960 Raveningham Hall (1977-1996) also took part.[13] The event comprised an exhibition of locomotives and rolling stock from 24 to 30 August, followed by a 'Grand Steam Cavalcade' of locomotives on 31 August from Shildon to Heighington.
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Rail 150 at Shildon included 4 SVR locos
(Wikimedia Commons) -
1975: 43106 in the cavalcade at Shildon
(Wikimedia Commons)
2857 and 9303 arrived from Barry Scrapyard on 13 August.
September 1975[edit | edit source]
Around ¾ of a mile of the old Stourport branch was relaid for the filming of Universal Pictures' The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. Filming began on 29 September and took over 30 days at virtually every location along the line, using a number of the SVR's locos.[14] The SVR Company used part of the filming revenue to acquire 45110 which had recently been put up for sale by its owners. The purchase was contrary to existing SVR policy that locomotives should be bought by individuals or groups, and 'the unpopular decision' caused great upset amongst members at the time.[15]
On Saturday 27 September the SVR's first Enthusiasts Day (the forerunner of the autumn Steam Gala) saw 11 locomotives in steam, with 10 hauling passenger services and DB 64.305 shunting. 46443 and 46521 were in 'Austrian Railways' Furness Railway red livery with flared stovepipe chimneys and huge brass domes as used for filming.[16]
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46521 (nearer) and 46443 as Austrian locos
(David Cooke)
December 1975[edit | edit source]
Christmas services were between Bewdley and Arley, due to engineering work on the north of the line, in particular a substantial rebuild of Oldbury Viaduct.[17] This was the first year that Santa's Grotto was installed at Arley.[18]
An important part of the Arley re-signalling project was completed with the instalation of the underground cable between Arley and Bewdley.[19]
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]
- ↑ SVR News 35 p. 4.
- ↑ SVR News 36 p.5.
- ↑ SVR News 35, pp. 7-8.
- ↑ SVR Stock Book Fifth Edition, p. 8.
- ↑ SVR News 37, p. 14.
- ↑ SVR News 35, p. 34.
- ↑ SVR News 36, p. 11.
- ↑ SVR News 40, p.18.
- ↑ SVR News 35, p. 8.
- ↑ SVR News 36, p. 19.
- ↑ SVR News 36, p. 23.
- ↑ SVR News 36, pp. 24-25.
- ↑ SVR News 37, pp. 17-27
- ↑ SVR News 37, pp. 3,6.
- ↑ SVR News 37. p. 35., The Unpopular Decision. David C. Williams
- ↑ SVR News 37, pp. 32-33
- ↑ SVR News 38, p. 1.
- ↑ Marshall (1989) p. 188.
- ↑ SVR News 39, p. 16.