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Following the successful installation of [[Kidderminster Turntable |ex-Fort William turntable at Kidderminster]] in the mid-1990s, SVR News for spring 1997 announced a project to install a second turntable at Bridgnorth. The first turntable purchased by the SVR ex-Whitchurch in the 1970s had been intended for his purpose, but this would have been propelled by hand and was only 60ft in length. The decision was therefore taken to seek a more suitable turntable. Bridgnorth The [[Turntable Fund was established and ]] began raising fundsfor the "Bridgnorth Turntable Fund". The difficulty of finding a suitable location at Bridgnorth was noted at the time, possible sites considered including the end of the head-shunt adjacent to Pan Pudding Hill, an area beyond and adjacent to the Boiler Shop, or south of the station beyond the advanced starting signal.<ref>SVR News 122, “Bridgnorth Turntable Project” (John Giles)</ref>
==The turntable==
The turntable eventually acquired by the Turntable Fund is a Ransom Rapier 65'3" standard-pattern over-girder turntable, electrically powered. It was originally installed in 1957 as one of two turntables at Bristol (Bath Road) depot<ref>SVR News 56</ref>. Following the end of steam in 1960 the depot retained one turntable which was later used to turn road vehicles on the cramped site. At least one SVR locomotive also used the turntable after that time, [[46443]] having been photographed being turned in June 1985 during the ‘GW 150’ events in the Bristol area.<ref name=SVR126>SVR News 126</ref>
The Bath Road depot closed in 1995. In late 1997 the turntable was placed in the hands of auctioneers for sale by private treaty. It was inspected by the SVR and found to be in excellent condition, while site access would allow its removal by road. An offer was made to the auctioneers in October 1997 and the bid was accepted in February 1998, aided by a successful SVRA (Kidderminster Branch) raffle and fund-raising campaign.<ref name=SVR129>SVR News 129</ref>
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By Summer 2018 the SVR was looking at "possibly more practical locations".<ref>SVR News 202 Summer 2018, p. 15</ref> with test bores have been carried out to assess the suitability of a site adjacent to the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works|loco shed]] at Bridgnorth.<ref name=SVREP062018/> A project team for the specification of the West side Project was intended to tender for this phase during the summer of 2018.<ref>SVR NBI 16 March 2018</ref> By September 2018 a revision in its location meant that this element of the plan was to be resubmitted to the planning department of Shropshire Council.<ref>NBI published n on SVR Forum, September 2018.</ref> The turntable is still owned by the [[Turntable Fund]]<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bridgnorth-development| GM's announcement on SVRLive, 25 September 2018]</ref>.
==See also==
==Links==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Bath_Road_depot Bristol Bath Road depot on Wikipedia]*[https://www.svrlive.com/bridgnorth-development Bridgnorth Development on SVR Live]
