Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1979

1979 timetable

This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 1979. Passenger numbers for the year totalled 150,930 including 16,023 schools' tickets.

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Early 1979

Over the winter of 1978-79, a major refurbishment of the Cleobury Road Bridge at Bridgnorth was carried out, during which the steel bridge span itself was replaced as part of the program to upgrade the whole line to take heavier trains. The work was carried out by a combination of the SVR's Permanent Way and Civil Engineering Departments. The old girders were lifted out and replaced by new girders, supplied by Rubery Owen & Co, using the 30-ton and 6 ton steam cranes positioned on each side of the bridge. Work was also carried out on Victoria Bridge where the top layer of wood immediately under the ballast was replaced using redundant sleepers as a temporary measure, before a full refurbishment would be carried out over the following winter with 52 new transverse steel beams would replace all the old wooden beams.

A contract was placed with Portakabin Limited to provide a temporary buffet at Bridgnorth, situated in the car park. The 'Temporary' Portakabin remained in service for almost 40 years until replaced by the new refreshment room in 2018.

At Bridgnorth, planning permission was receive to use the field behind the Station as an overflow car park. The SVR was also in the final stages of purchasing approximately 550 sq yards of land at Pan Pudding Hill, intended to provide a suitable area for the installation of the turntable.

Following heavy snow and subsequent rains in January and early February, major work was again required to stabilise the line at Sterns in time for the season opening on 3 March. This was the first occasion on which significant movement of the telegraph pole route was observed. In an attempt to stabilie the area, three new concrete culverts were installed under the railway linked by a trench on the uphill side running parallel to it.

March 1979

The first Western Weekend was held on the weekend of 31 March - 1 April, with over 2,500 visitors attending. Both D1013 and D1062 were in use, running in 'spare' paths between the regular steam service. D1062 failed at Hampton Loade on the Saturday afternoon northbound run and was assisted by 80079; the locomotive was repaired in time to work back to Bewdley on Sunday afternoon double headed with D1013. The track at Sterns was still under repair, resulting in trains making "a series of sharp turns, dips and climbs, reminiscent of a big dipper".

April 1979

The Spring Steam Gala was held on 21-22 April.

May 1979

After several years of negitiations, BR agreed to allow through excursions onto the SVR. The first such excursion, organised by the Monmouthshire Railway Society, arrived at Bewdley from Cardiff on Saturday 5 May. The 10 BR Mark 1 coaches were worked from Bewdley to Bridgnorth by 7819 Hinton Manor and back to Bewdley by D1062 Western Courier. Following the collapse of negotiations to acquire Kidderminster goods shed, other ways of developing the link with BR were being explored including the proposal for a trial of DMU services between Kidderminster and Bewdley on four Saturdays in August.

June 1979

Following completion of its overhaul, the NRM's Black 5 LMS 5000 made a successful main line debut on 2 June, working return trips from Hereford to Shrewsbury and Hereford to Newport for 188 miles of steam haulage in the day. On the same day the new Portakabin buffet opened at Bridgnorth, replacing the 'York buffet' coach.

2857 was steamed for the first time since restoration on 3 June; the first Churchward 2-8-0 to do so. However the owners decided the cylinders would have to be replaced before a full entry into service could take place. On the same day, filming of 'God's Wonderful Railway' took place at Highley station featuring 4566. Bewdley stationmaster Malcolm Broadhurst appeared as an extra.

The 'Great Western Weekend' steam gala was held on 23-24 June. LMS 5000 was also in service working the Demonstration Goods Train.

Scenes on the SVR in June 1979: (Wikimedia Commons)

• 
  LMS 8233 and 7325 at Bewdley
• 
  600 Gordon at Bridgnorth

July 1979

The Didcot Great Western Society's veteran Wantage Tramway locomotive "Shannon" was used for filming scenes of the BBC children's drama television series God's Wonderful Railway on the SVR, but was not steamed while here, being propelled or pulled into shot.

• 
  Shanon as the contractors' locomotive
• 
  Shanon crossing Victoria Bridge

August 1979

LNWR 3020 Cornwall was delivered from Crewe to Bewdley on 16 August by BR's 47536. The locomotive was being lent to the SVR by the NRM for a 5 year period, including restoration and potential use as a 'vintage train' set with the three Ex-Longmoor Saloons.

• 
  Cornwall in Bridgnorth shed
  (Wikimedia Commons)

BR ran the weekend DMU service from Kidderminster to Bewdley on four Saturdays as negotiated earlier in the year. The experiment proved both an operational and commercial success, with over 3,000 passengers arriving via BR. The first services on 4 August utilised Class 116 DMU set formation TS545, with Bewdley station decked out in flags.

Around this time the Bewdley Turntable Fund was set up to acquire the 70ft vacuum turntable ex-Fort William. The purchase was completed before the end of the year.

September 1979

Following restoration, GWR 7812 was officially re-named "Erlestoke Manor" by Swindon Works manager Harry Roberts in a ceremony at Bewdley on 1 September, before hauling an inaugural "shareholders' special" to Bridgnorth and back. The trip was repeated in the evening for SVR members, although the return was disrupted by wet weather, resulting in an announcement on the Bridgnorth PA that "The train arriving at Platform 1 is the one that left 45 minutes ago!" 7812 was the first SVR-based locomotive to be restored in lined BR green livery, a 'controversial choice'.

The Enthusiasts Weekend was held on 8-9 September. D1062 was used to rescue LMS 5000 on Saturday, as well as working four trips from Bewdley to Foley Park with 6443, 7812, 7819 and 5764 working the return. D1062 also worked one round trip on the Sunday.

A second through excursion onto the SVR arrived on Saturday 15 September, using the Great Western Society's 10-coach vintage train, with 7812 and 7819 working the set between Bewdley and Bridgnorth.

The newly restored pair of 4930 Hagley Hall and LMS 5000 workded a double-headed main line return trip from Hereford to Chester on 22 September with the SVRA "The Inter-City"” charter.

October 1979

Another through excursion onto the SVR using the Great Western Society's 10-coach vintage train arrived on 20 October. On this occasion 4930 and LMS 5000 worked the set between Bewdley and Bridgnorth.

A second Western Diesel Weekend was held on 20-21 October with both Westerns in use. At lunchtime on the day before, a 15ft deep hole was found in the track formation in Alveley Woods, which was filled late that evening.

On Saturday 27 October the SVR was visited by the Minister of Transport, the Right Hon. Norman Fowler, MP., accompanied by the Under Secretary of the Department of Transport, John Palmer, and Major Peter Olver of the Railway Inspectorate. The visit followed a pledge made by the Minister in the House of Commons that he would visit a 'private enterprise railway' during the year.

After the end of the main running season on 28 October, work began on overhauling Victoria Bridge, beginning with dismantling the trackwork, ballast and handrails. While the Drott was removing ballast on the bridge, a section of the rotten woodwork collapsed under it, providing ample evidence for the necessity of the repair work.

November 1979

Following the Rolling Stock Committee's decision in early 1978 not to accept further locomotives from Barry for restoration, the purchase of locomotives for spares was approved, 'subject to suitable controls'. On 28 November 7802 Bradley Manor arrived from Barry, thereby assuming the title of 'last Barry engine to come in'. The owning group acquired the locomotive to provide an interchangeable boiler and other 'strategic reserve' components for 7812 Erlestoke Manor.

December 1979

Christmas services took place between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, while repairs continued on Victoria Bridge. Three locomotives were used, 5764, LMS 8233 and 5164 which had just entered traffic after restoration was completed.

Steam locomotives used

A table of steam locomotives used and their mileages can be found on the Steam Locomotive Mileages page.

See also

• The Severn Valley Railway in preservation

Severn Valley Railway

British Rail or British Railways

Diesel Multiple Unit

The Railway Museum, formerly the National Railway Museum

George Jackson Churchward, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1902-1922

London Midland & Scottish Railway

Henry Fowler, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Midland Railway 1909-1923, and of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1923-1933

Major Peter M. Olver of the Royal Engineers served with the DoT's Railway Inspectorate between 1965 and 1989. He regularly carried out the annual inspections and approved new works on the SVR.

Drott Manufacturing Company machine similar to a bulldozer used to level and compact soil

Woodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation.