Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1985

1985 timetable

This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 1985, a year which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway. A number of 'GWR 150' events were held around the country, many involving SVR locomotives, although a planned exhibition at Swindon was cancelled after British Rail Engineering Ltd (BREL) insensitively announced the closure of the Swindon Works in the anniversary year. 1985 was also the year of the infamous 'April Fool'.

Passenger numbers for the year totalled 191,619, a new record to that date.

---

January 1985

On 22 January 4930 Hagley Hall hauled a Post Office charter in a circular tour from Birmingham Moor Street via Stratford and Leamington Spa. The occasion was a celebration of the 150th anniversary of post by rail.

March 1985

When Hagley Hall failed at Kidderminster on 9 March, D3022 stepped in to haul the 14.50 service to Bridgnorth, with D1013 Western Ranger working the return service. This was reported to be the first use of a preserved 08 class diesel on a passenger service on the SVR, and the first occasion on which two different classes of preserved diesels worked service trains on the SVR.

April 1985

3717 City of Truro was lent by the NRM to the SVR in 1984 to be overhauled for use in GWR 150. On 1 April 1985 (a clue), Steam Railway published an article stating that the 'City of Truro' was to be restored in BR lined black livery complete with smokebox number plate. A photograph of the locomotive in this totally unauthentic livery appeared with the article, which went on to say that SVR Loco Superintendent Nula Seer was responsible. In fact just before strip-down began, the SVR had painted and lined out one side of the locomotive to provide the photograph (this pre-dated digital manipulation of pictures), and Nula Seer was really Alun Rees. The joke did not go down well in some quarters; the SVR received many vitriolic letters threatening returned membership cards, cashed-in shares and a boycott on visits.

7819 Hinton Manor worked the first day of a 2-day railtour from Bristol The Great Western Limited double-headed with 6000 King George V. The King failed at Taunton with a ‘hot box’. 7819 suffered a similar fate at Exeter but was later able to proceed to Plymouth to be repaired overnight. 4930 Hagley Hall worked light engine overnight from Kidderminster to Plymouth, and the two SVR engines hauled the return to Bristol over the Devon Banks the following day.

The Spring Steam Gala was held on the weekend of 20-21 April, featuring the home fleet.

May 1985

GWR 813 visited Didcot as part of the GWR 150 events, travelling 70 miles in the sidings there.

The year's first Western Diesel Weekend was held on 18-19 May.

June 1985

The Summer Steam Gala was held on 22-23 June. As part of the GW150 theme, the replica broad gauge 'Iron Duke' was on display in Bridgnoth yard, and the GW Exhibition Train was in Highley loop where it was attended by several thousand visitors.

July 1985

The water column at Kidderminster was commissioned on 7 July. Previously locomotives at the south end of the line could only take water at Bewdley.

Kidderminster was added to BR's list of authorised steam routes. The first railtour involving a steam departure from Kidderminster was the 'Western Stalwart' on 6 July 1985, hauled by 4930 Hagley Hall and Tyseley’s 7029 Clun Castle.

The first meeting of the newly-formed Civil Engineering and Building Department took place on 13 July. After travelling from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth, the team unanimously agreed their first small project should be to create the 'Donkey Gallop' at Bridgnorth.

• 
  The Donkey Gallop (2015)

August 1985

34027 Taw Valley, then owned by Bert Hitchen, arrived on the SVR on 18 August 1985 for restoration to main line running order.

2857 was steamed successfully for the first time since 1980, and during September hauled a rake of the SVR preserved wagons to Newport and back over BR metals as part of the GW 150 celebrations.

• 
  2857 on the mainline during the GW 150 celebrations
• 
  2857 passes Clun Castle near Newport

September 1985

Phase 2 of the new Kidderminster Station building was opened on 28 September, just in time for the annual Enthusiasts Weekend which saw a return visit from 7029 Clun Castle and newly overhauled 3717 also working. The event was attended by nearly 9,000 visitors.

October 1985

The year's second Western Diesel Weekend took place on 12-13 October. Sunday also saw the first bus-themed Kidderminster Rail / Road Rally organised by The Erlestoke Manor Fund in aid of the restoration of 7802 Bradley Manor, with over seventy historic buses, coaches, and cars in attendance and a half-hourly vintage bus service between Kidderminster and Bewdley.

On 19 October the SVR Board rejected a proposal from a local group to re-erect the former Exeter West Signal Box on the SVR, despite fund raising having taken place on the Railway for several years. The signal box was eventually re-erected at the Crewe Heritage Centre.

• 
  The Exeter West Box at Crewe in 2017. (Geograph)

November 1985

Filming of scenes for the Granada Television series Lost Empires with Sir Lawrence Olivier took place at Arley.

• 
  Sir Lawrence Olivier at Arley
  Tony Bending / SVR News

December 1985

Ticket sales for the Christmas services totalled 30,975 Santa tickets (over four weekends) and 1,997 Mince Pie tickets.

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

Great Western Railway

Severn Valley Railway

The Railway Museum, formerly the National Railway Museum

British Rail or British Railways