Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2001
This page details events on the Severn Valley Railway during 2001.
The SVR began the year anticipating a poor year financially, with the 'boiler crisis' affecting the capacity for previously profitable contract work. This was quickly exacerbated by the 'Foot and Mouth' crisis, with Government publicity initially advising the public to 'stay away'. Although advice later changed to 'visit countryside attractions but don't stray onto farmland', early season visitor numbers were badly affected. Despite this, the Railway celebrated its five millionth passenger during the year which ended with passenger numbers totalling a record to date of 230,436.[1]
January 2001[edit | edit source]
All SVR trains became non-smoking on 1 January 2001. 8 man-hours per week for 7 weeks were required to apply period style transfers to the windows of the coach fleet.
Spring 2001[edit | edit source]
Water quality was being constantly monitored, with samples taken for testing each time a loco was filled. ‘Reverse Osmosis’ water treatment equipment had been ordered, and was in course of being installed.
Last year’s poor weather had resulted in a rock slide in Eymore Cutting, just south of Victoria Bridge. Permanent repairs were undertaken in the summer once approval had been received from English Nature, the area being a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[2]
An appeal from Chris Magner appeared in the Spring edition of SVR News under the heading "The Bridgnorth Hazledine, Rastrick and Trevithick Project" seeking to form a group to celebrate the forthcoming (2008) bi-centenary of the building of Catch Me Who Can, includng the possible construction of a full sized working replica of the locomotive.[3]
March 2001[edit | edit source]
The Branch Line Gala was held on 3-4 March. The 'foot and mouth' outbreak saw passenger numbers 40% down on the previous year.[4] 9F 92212 took part before leaving at the end of its winter hire period. The other guest locomotives were:
Following the Gala, Bewdley Station was closed for 3 weeks for repairs to the footbridge and platform canopies.
April 2001[edit | edit source]
The annual Members Day event took place on Saturday 7 April. GWR 813 operated a shuttle between Kidderminster station and the new Carriage Shed.[5]
34027 Taw Valley returned to the Severn Valley Railway on 11 April, with former owner Bert Hitchen selling the locomotive to the SVR's Phil Swallow.[4] 34027 had been painted as 'Hogwarts Express' at the time, to promote the fourth Harry Potter book ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’.
On 13 April a Cheshire Railtours excursion from Barnstaple to Bridgnorth saw another InterCity 125 HST on the SVR.[4]
Visiting locomotives at the April Diesel Gala on 27-29 April included Virgin Trains' Class 47 no 47828 which was given the name "Severn Valley Railway". The event, which was held in the spring as an experiment, brought nearly 3,100 visitors, many buying two or three day rover tickets.[4]
8F 48773 became the first SVR locomotive to achieve 100,000 miles in preservation, a feat at that time only achieved by two locomotives on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.[6]
May 2001[edit | edit source]
The Railway held 'Day out with Thomas' weekends on 12-13 and 19-20 May.
On 23 May the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the Kidderminster Railway Museum Trust Limited £177,500 for roof and canopy restoration, to provide additional storage space for the museum's collections and release further floorspace for new displays.[7]
-
Kidderminster Town, 28 May 2001 (Geograph)
June 2001[edit | edit source]
The Highley Visitor Centre was formally opened by Sir William Laurence, Chairman of the Heart of England Tourist Board, on Saturday 2 June. The Visitor Centre was housed in TPO 80300 in Highley Station yard.[8]
-
80300 in use as the visitor centre
For the first time, two 1940s weekends took place, the first on 30 June - 1 July in the regular 'last weekend in June' slot with a second on the following weekend 7-8 July.
July 2001[edit | edit source]
The Hampton Loade Station Gala on 22 July included what was thought to be Britain's first 'Velocipede Rally'. Hampton Loade's own velocipede[note 1] was joined by two visiting velocipedes.[9] The event was repeated annually until 2005.
A new event, "Severn Valley in Bloom", took place on 28-29 July, highlighting the station gardens and floral displays. It became a regular event in the calendar.
August 2001[edit | edit source]
An area of land at Highley, which was originally the Highley Colliery sidings and latterly the 'landsale yard' for Alveley Colliery, came up for auction and was acquired by the SVR at a cost of £35,000.[10] This area is now the site of The Engine House.
September 2001[edit | edit source]
Two further 'Day out with Thomas' weekends took place on 1-2 and 8-9 September.
After being cancelled the year before, the Autumn Steam Gala returned to the calendar on 21-23 September and was attended by over 7,500 people, the highest number since Flying Scotsman in 1990. The 'star' home locos were newly acquired Taw Valley (still in Hogwarts Express livery) and newly outshopped Union of South Africa.[11] The visiting locos were:
- 46233 [LMS 6233] Duchess of Sutherland: LMS Stanier 8P Princess Coronation class Pacific
- 42765: LMS Hughes 5MT 'Crab' Mogul'
- 9466: BR(W) Hawksworth 9400 class 0-6-0PT
Pictures below at Hay Bridge on 23 September, from Geograph
-
Taw Valley -
Duchess of Sutherland -
Double headed panniers
October 2021[edit | edit source]
The twelfth and final joint SVR / Worcester Bus Preservation Society Classic Vehicle Day was held on 14 October. It included "...the usual 'Bewdley Shuttle' and Green Street 'Park & Ride' services".[12] The 'Park and Ride' service allowed the SVR public to park in a hired car park in the town and catch a classic bus to the Railway. Unfortunately a passenger was injured after falling from the platform of a bus as it was pulling away, resulting in an acrimonious insurance claim. As a result, the Bus Preservation Society no longer participated in further events; the issue about the responsibility of insurance cover for the buses and other vehicles attending the festival also contributed to the event's demise[13].
November 2001[edit | edit source]
Kidderminster Carriage Shed was formally opened by HRH the Duke of Gloucester on 29 November.
-
Commemorative plaque
December 2001[edit | edit source]
The SVR Rolling Stock Trust Company Limited was incorporated on 17 December 2001. As a charitable body, its Objects were:[14]
"To advance education for the benefit of the public by:
- the acquisition, restoration, preservation, operation maintenance and display of heritage railway locomotives, coaches, wagons and artefacts
- the provision of facilities for the education, training and certification of trainees in the practicalities, techniques and methods used in the restoration, repair and operation of historic railways"
The SVR Rolling Stock Trust operated in that form for more than 10 years before taking on a wider remit as the Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust in 2012.
Locomotive Mileages[edit | edit source]
A table of locomotives used during the year is shown below.[15]
| Locomotive | Miles | Comment |
| 813 | 1,597 | |
| 1501 | 8,744 | Re-entered service |
| 5764 | 6,740 | Re-entered service |
| 7714 | 4,580 | Re-entered service after boiler overhaul at Crewe |
| 34027 Taw Valley | 6,210 | Including at least 2 main line railtours |
| 45110 | 10,676 | |
| 46443 | 456 | Re-entered service |
| 47373 | 2,465 | |
| 48773 | 11,304 | |
| 60009 Union of South Africa | 2,160 | Re-entered service mid year |
| 80079 | 6,160 | |
| 686 The Lady Armaghdale | 11 | Re-entered to service |
| Guests and others | 4,568 | |
| Total | 65,671 |
See also[edit | edit source]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Unlike the better known 4-wheeled pump-handle trolley, the three-wheeled velocipede was propelled by a combination of pedal and handle from a sitting position. The GWR pioneered their use for track inspection after 1900. Hampton Loade's own velocipede was thought to be unique, as the only known example to have survived at the place to which it was first allocated and having avoided the re-call to Swindon at closure.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ SVR(H) 2001 Annual Accounts, Chairman's Statement
- ↑ SVR News 135, p.11.
- ↑ SVR News 135, p.40.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 SVR News 136, General Manager's Notes, pp. 6-9
- ↑ SVR News 136, p. 19.
- ↑ SVR News 136, p. 53.
- ↑ HLF (retrieved 27 December 2016)
- ↑ SVR News 137, p.57.
- ↑ SVR News 139, Hampton Loade Velocipede Rally 2001
- ↑ SVR News 137, Boardroom Notes, pp. 6-7
- ↑ SVR News 137, p.4.
- ↑ SVR News 139
- ↑ SVR-Online Forum thread (Originally retrieved 18 July 2020)
- ↑ Companies House
- ↑ SVR News Issue 152, p. 25., SVR Steam Locomotive Mileages 1990-2004 compiled by Graham Nangreave