Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2010
2010 saw the 40th anniversary of the official opening of the Severn Valley Railway in preservation. Two 'must-do' engineering projects were in progress, an overhaul of the Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge which had been deferred at the time of the 2007 Storm Damage, and installation of the wheel-drop at Bridgnorth which required a 12,000 cubic foot hole to be dug in the locomotive works.
2010 also became ‘the year of the tender’. The axles on 43106’s tender had suffered damage in the derailment at Hampton Loade the previous year, but the locomotive was returned to service after the Strathspey Railway kindly loaned the axles from the tender of 46512 which was not in service at the time. Next came a broken spring hanger bracket on 7812 Erlestoke Manor’s tender, temporarily resolved by a loan from the Foxcote Manor Group at Llangollen while new castings were made. Finally, 42968 suffered wheel flats on the tender, and resumed service using the tender from Black 5 45110 which was brought back from Barrow Hill where the locomotive was on static display.
Other legacies of the 2009 derailment saw the SVR invest in more sophisticated locomotive weighing equipment to ensure the correct adjustment of locomotive and tender springs, and the acquisition of a Track Data Recording Device, a simple three-wheeled lightweight unit to measure track conditions such as twist, superelevation, gauge, gradient and rail condition.
January 2010[edit | edit source]
New points were installed at Hampton Loade to replace those damaged in the derailment the previous autumn. Services from Kidderminster terminated at Highley while the work took place.
February 2010[edit | edit source]
On 23 February the internal enquiry team's report into the previous year's Hampton Loade derailment was presented to the SVR(H) Board. The recommendations were accepted in full. These included responsibility for safety residing solely with SVR(H) rather than the Joint Board, reviewing the SMS and instituting an audit procedure to ensure compliance[1].
March 2010[edit | edit source]
The Spring Steam Reunion Gala took place on 5-7 March. The guest locomotives, which included three former SVR residents, were:
- 5786: GWR Collett 5700 class 0-6-0PT (spent 10 months on the SVR in 1969/70)
- 6695: GWR Collett 5600 class 0-6-2T (on hire, after winter work at Bridgnorth)
- 61994 The Great Marquess: LNER Gresley K4 West Highland class Mogul (in BR Black livery. Resident on the SVR between 1972 and 2005, during which time it chiefly ran with its original number and livery as LNER 3442)
- 78019: BR Riddles Standard 2MT class Mogul (resident on the SVR between 1973 and 1998 but never steamed while here)
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5786 (February 2010) -
6695 -
61994 The Great Marquess -
78019
April 2010[edit | edit source]
On 21 April E6005 (73005) left the SVR by road. It had suffered an axle bearing fault and seized turbo around 2005.[2]
On 24 April DEMU 1001 operated Hastings Diesels Limited’s 'Severn Explorer' railtour from Hastings to Bridgnorth.[3][2]
On 26 April a Network Rail test train was used to check the full length of the line for track twists and dipped rail joints. Those found were dealt with by the P.W. staff.[2]
On 28 April D3022 conducted a big shunt at The Engine House with LMS 798 Royal Coach being moved in.
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LMS King George VI Royal Saloon 798
May 2010[edit | edit source]
On 23 May 43106 hauled the '40th anniversary special'.
July 2010[edit | edit source]
42968 became the first locomotive to use the new wheel-drop 'in anger', with the rear driving wheels being removed to attend to wear in the axle boxes.
'Kids for a Quid' offered £1 fares for children from 24 July to 31 August. Ticket Treats for Grown-Ups offered reduced price off-peak travel during July.[4]
The Ffestiniog Railway’s 1' 11½" gauge 1863 locomotive No 2 Prince was on display in The Engine House.
-
Prince
Summer 2010[edit | edit source]
The locomotive fleet was again 'one short' for the summer peak service, resulting in the hire of GWR 2884 Class 3802 from Llangollen, utilising 7822 'Foxcote Manor's' tender to save transport costs.
-
3802
August 2010[edit | edit source]
A Q&A session on 21 August reported the recession had truly hit; in the first six months of the year SVR Passenger numbers were 13% down and all departments were asked to economise as much as possible.[5]
The railway pulled in more than 30 prospective new guards from a special recruiting day on 14 August[6].
September 2010[edit | edit source]
The Autumn 'Anniversary' Gala on 24-26 September featured 5 guest locomotives including three former residents:
- 3205: GWR Collett 2251 class 0-6-0 (resident on the SVR between 1967 and 1987; hauled the first train on opening day 40 years earlier)
- 3717 City of Truro: GWR Churchward 3700 City class 4-4-0 (resident on the SVR between 1984 and 1986)
- 5542: GWR Churchward 4575 class 'Small Prairie'
- 45690 Leander [LMS 5690]: LMS Stanier Jubilee 6P class 4-6-0 (resident between 1983 and 1994 as an SVR-owned locomotive)
- 34070 Manston: SR 'un-rebuilt' Bulleid Battle of Britain class Pacific
-
3205 -
3717 City of Truro -
5542 -
![45690 Leander [LMS 5690]](https://pro-wiki.s3.amazonaws.com/4073723/thumb/2/25/45690_20100925.jpg/400px-45690_20100925.jpg)
45690 Leander [LMS 5690] -
34070 Manston
![45690 Leander [LMS 5690]](/File:45690_20100925.jpg)
October 2010[edit | edit source]
Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October saw a 'Railcar Reunion'. Visiting diesel railcars varied in age from the oldest active BR diesel unit in preservation, the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s BR ‘Lightweight’ unit M79900 of 1956, to the youngest, pioneer ‘Sprinter’ 3-car set 150 001 of 1984 which was still in use by London Midland at the time.
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A 7-railcar set in use on Sunday 10 October
686 The Lady Armaghdale was moved into The Engine House on 18 October, having been repainted into the red livery of her second owners, ICI Limited.
November 2010[edit | edit source]
There were no trains to or from Bridgnorth during November, due to track re-laying on Eardington bank.[7]
December 2010[edit | edit source]
Exceptionally cold weather up to and over Christmas caused difficulties for Boxing Day re-opening. Despite engines having remained lit up over the fortnight and heated where possible, 7802 suffered a fracture in an injector delivery pipe prior to departing Bewdley MPD that morning, its place on the first train of the day taken by 42968 after the tender brake cylinder and water feed pipes were defrosted by means of oily rags, alight, and wrapped around the ends of pallet wood! 43106 suffered a shattered piston and broken cylinder cover attributed to the cold weather. 42968 ran the service alone that day and during the course of it clocked up 100,000 miles in preservation.
46443 was in the shed for two weeks and actually became stuck to the ground by icicles.
The HLF rejected a bid for funds for a wagon shed
See also[edit | edit source]
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Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ SVR News 169
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Express Points Web Round-Up, May 2010
- ↑ Hastings Diesel Limited (Retrieved 24 April 2018)
- ↑ Express Points web round up, August 2010
- ↑ Express Points web round up, September 2010
- ↑ 'Severn Valley Railway in recruitment boost', Shropshire Star, 18 August 2010
- ↑ Express Points Web Round Up, September 2010