Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1976
 Article under construction This article is currently under construction. Further data will be added shortly.
|
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.
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.
April 1976[edit | edit source]
7812 Erlestoke Manor arrived on 23 April, having previously been at the Dowty R.P.S. site at Ashchurch.
May 1976[edit | edit source]
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[1].
August 1976[edit | edit source]
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.
September 1976[edit | edit source]
The first Autumn Enthusiasts Weekend (as opposed to day) saw the first "top-and-tailed" steam services to Foley Park. 7 Locomotives were in steam (813 having failed on the first day).
November 1976[edit | edit source]
The pits were being dug for the new Bridgnorth loco shed.
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.
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]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes[edit | edit source]