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[[File:Kidderminster turntable.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Kidderminster turntable]]
__TOC__The 70ft vacuum turntable, built by Cowans Sheldon and originally installed at Fort William in 1948<ref>[http://www.tt.vintagecarriagestrust.org/ts/turnInfo.asp?Ref=18 | Vintage Carriages Trust web site]</ref>, which had resided for several years at Horsted Keynes on the Bluebell Railway, arrived on the SVR in June 1980.<ref>SVR News 56 states 1 June, a photo in SVR News 59 states 18 June</ref> Funds from an [[:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|SVRA raffle]] were used to pay for the transport costs.<ref>SVR News 54, 56</ref> The Railway originally planned to install it at Bewdley South in the [[Stourport Triangle]]<ref name = "SVRNews56">SVR News 56</ref>, the fork between the [[Kidderminster]] and [[Stourport]] branches, but the development of Kidderminster led to its installation there instead. A track plan published shortly before Kidderminster opened in [[The development of Kidderminster Town Station | July 1984]] showed a proposed site for the turntable on the station side of [[Kidderminster Footbridge]]<ref>SVR News 72</ref>, however the eventual location chosen was on the same side of the line (to the right when leaving the station) but a similar distance beyond the footbridge.
Fund raising to install the turntable began in the summer of [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999#1991 | 1991]]. The turntable was connected to the SVR network on [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999#1994 |31 July 1994]], with the [[Smiths, Rodley DW35 6-ton steam crane|6 ton steam crane and match truck]] being the first items of rolling stock to be turned, followed by one of the Ruston diesel shunters. Installation was completed in time for the turntable to feature in that year's autumn steam gala. Visiting locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman was turned on Friday 23 September as a prelude to the gala in a christening ceremony carried out by Lady Lucinda Lambton, although [[LMR 600 Gordon]] had already managed a turn on 9 September during an earlier 'Thomas' event. Other visitors 6024 King Edward 1 and 60009 Union of South Africa were turned on the Saturday and Sunday respectively. A further six months of work was then undertaken to complete the project.<ref>SVR News 113</ref>
==Links==
[http://svrtrust.org.uk/our-vehicles/infrastructure/kidderminster-turntable.html Turntable on svrtrust.org.uk]
[[Category:SVR fundraising lotteries]]
