Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1976
This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 1976. The 1976 timetable included 118 running days between 6 March and 31 October, now with 735 trains in each direction. As the year opened, negotiations with BR were in progress over the proposed Kidderminster Terminus. The SVR was also negotiating with BR for the SVR to become an approved steam depot for main line running.[1]
January 1976[edit | edit source]
On 4 January the Up Home signal at Bewdley was taken down due to rot in the base of the post. The upper portion was saved and later became the down home signal at Arley.[2]
Hugh Mossop resigned as General Manager at the Board meeting on 31 January. He was succeeded by Michael Draper, initially as Acting General Manager.[3]
March 1976[edit | edit source]
Construction of the loco shed at the Bridgnorth MPD began. This would take around a year to complete using parts of the former Portskewett and Heaton Mersey Sheds acquired for that purpose.[4]
April 1976[edit | edit source]
The SVR's first Spring Steam Gala was held on Saturday 10 April.[3] The event proved a success, with more than 2,500 travellers on what was normally regarded as a 'low season Saturday'.[5] The Arley signal box was brought into use on the same day; thereafter all SVR services between Bewdley and Bridgnorth were operated using electric tokens, and all passenger train movements were controlled by fixed signals.[6]
7812 Erlestoke Manor arrived on 23 April, having previously been at the Dowty R.P.S. site at Ashchurch. On the following day around 200 EMF Shareholders and SVR members took part in a sponsored walk of the trackbed between Bridgnorth and Ironbridge to help raise funds for restoration. [7]
A team of volunteeers funded by the Manpower Services Commission began a project to upgrade and renovate bridges and other structures to take increased axle weight loadings.[8] Two further projects were submitted to the Manpower Services Commission later in the year, "Stage 2" to carry out Permanent Way improvements and "Stage 3" to help restore the LMS carriages.[9]
May 1976[edit | edit source]
Around this time the SVRs Rolling Stock Committee agreed to a request from a group of prospective owners, the "9F Locomotive Society", to bring BR Standard 9F 92212 to the SVR if the Society was successful in acquiring the engine from Barry Scrapyard.[10]
A busy day on 3 May at Bewdley MPD saw the lifting of 5 boilers and 2 frames in a single day. The boilers belonged to 5164, 4930, 7819, 7812 and 7714; the first and last also involved moves of the frames[11].
August 1976[edit | edit source]
-
46521 at Bewdley, August 1976
(Geograph)
The 'long hot summer' of 1976 caused problems as SVR volunteers fought dozens of fires along the railway. A spare Hawksworth 4000 gallon tender was filled and taken to Spring Grove (near Rifle Range Halt) to help the county fire brigade, assisted by SVR volunteers, fight a nearby forest fire which took 2 days to extinguish.[12]
On Sunday 22 August one of Britain's leadng railway photographers, Paul Riley, was sadly killed in a fall from Victoria Bridge.[13]
The pits were being dug for the new Bridgnorth loco shed.[14]
September 1976[edit | edit source]
Followng the success of the first Enthusiasts Day in 1975, the event was expanded to become a 2-day Autumn Enthusiasts Weekend. The event, which had around 5,000 visitors, saw the first "top-and-tailed" steam services to Foley Park. 7 Locomotives were in steam (813 having failed on the first day).[15]
October 1976[edit | edit source]
Filming of Candleshoe took place at Waterworks Crossing.[16]
November 1976[edit | edit source]
The second stage of the Manpower Services Commission began with a team of more than 20 starting work on improving the permanent way.[17]
The SVR's first outgoing railtour took place. A photo in SVR news Edition 43 later showed Paddington Arrivals Information board on 13 November 1976 displaying the arrival of a service originating from Bridgnorth. This used the SVR's Great Western rolling stock and was hauled by Brush Type 4 diesel locomotive No. 47 120.
December 1976[edit | edit source]
Santa's Grotto was at Arley for a second year, with 3 return services from Bewdley on the three weekends before Christmas. Post-Christmas services ran on 26 December to 3 January inclusive, also between Bewdley and Arley, with passengers entitled to free coffee or punch, and a mince pie.[18][note 1]
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]
- ↑ As a result, the post-Christmas services were referred to as 'Mince Pie Specials' for many years.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ SVR News 41, General Manager's Notes, Michael Draper
- ↑ SVR News 40
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 SVR News 38, p. 4.
- ↑ SVR News 40, p. 15.
- ↑ SVR News 39, p. 1.
- ↑ SVR News 41, p. 29.
- ↑ SVR News 40, p. 14.
- ↑ SVR News 40, General Manager's Notes, Michael Draper
- ↑ SVR News 41, Boardroom Notes
- ↑ SVR News 40, p. 33.
- ↑ SVR News 40, The 150 Ton Lift
- ↑ SVR News 41, p. 30.
- ↑ SVR News 41, p. 5.
- ↑ SVR News 42, p. 27.
- ↑ SVR News 41, pp. 13, 20-23.
- ↑ SVR News 43, pp. 22-25.
- ↑ SVR News 42, p. 33.
- ↑ SVR News 41, p. 19.