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==History==
==="Diesel Weekends"===
The SVR's first two main line passenger diesels, BR Class 52 [[BR Class 52 D1013 Western Ranger| D1013 Western Ranger]] and [[BR Class 52 D1062 Western Courier|D1062 Western Courier]], arrived on the SVR on 29 September 1978. The original draft locomotive agreement envisaged that they would be based at [[Bridgnorth ]] and operated on special "Western" weekends and certain other occasions, although they would not normally replace steam on scheduled SVR trains.<ref>SVR News 48</ref>
1979 duly saw two "'''Western Weekends'''" on 31 March-1 April and 20-21 October, although the use of the Western's was described as being "…in the spare paths between the two service trains". The same year also saw the introduction of a "Great Western Weekend" in June.<ref group="note">The Great Western Weekend became the "Summer Steam Gala" after 1984.</ref> From 1980 onwards the diesel events were renamed "'''Western Diesel Weekends'''", presumably to avoid any possibility of confusion with the steam event.
==Notable events==
*'''1979''' First "Western Weekends"
*'''1987''' First use of guest locomotives
*'''1991''' Decision taken to hold only one diesel gala per year. The last 2-day weekend gala.
