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Planning for the SVR's participation in the Rocket 150 celebrations at Rainhill began in 1979. General Manager [[Michael Draper]] reported that the commitment was to provide "''perhaps as many as 6 or 7 of our locomotives for display, the largest single contingent from any private enterprise railway in the country''". [[LNWR 3020 Cornwall]] was lent to the SVR in August 1979 by the Department of Education and Science, with the intention of being restored to working order and taking part<ref>SVR News 53, General Manager's Notes, Michael Draper</ref>, but was forced to withdraw when the BR boiler inspector put his hammer right through the front ring of the boiler barrel.<ref>SVR News 55, Locomotive Notes</ref> [[46521|Ivatt 'Mickey Mouse' 46521]] was initially planned to be used but major boiler repair work made this impossible and [[3205]] was substituted.<ref name=SVR56>SVR News 56, 'The Rainhill Evacuation'</ref>
In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1975|1975]], three of the four SVR engines plus carriages which attended the [[Rail 150 ]] celebrations at Shildon had travelled there in steam. The SVR intended for its locomotives to travel to Rainhill in the same manner, as part of railtours in the case of [[43106]], [[LMS Stanier Class 5 45000|LMS 5000]] and [[4930|4930 Hagley Hall]] and light engine in the case of the other participants.<ref>SVR News 54, General Manager's Notes, Michael Draper</ref> Hagley Hall was declared out of gauge for the Earlestown and Rainhill platforms just a fortnight before the event so could not take part, with Didcot's 5051 ''Drysllwyn Castle'' (a.k.a. ''Earl Bathurst'') standing in. Boiler repairs to 43106 could not be completed in time to double head 'The Black Countryman' Railtour with 45000 on 19 April 1980, so [[80079]] was promoted as a late substitute for the Rainhill event and allowed to double head the railtour from Hereford to Manchester with special dispensation from BR, tank engines not normally being permitted on the main line because of lack of water capacity. From Manchester Victoria the pair moved light engine to Northwich depot (8E) where they remained until the Tuesday before Rainhill. Both were steamed for the Northwich Open Day on Sunday 18 May, sporting 8E shed plates; LMS 5000 also provided the rare sight of steam working a BR freight in the 1980s by double-heading a class 25 diesel on 18 hoppers from Plumley to Winnington Works.<ref name=SVR56/>
Plans for the other light engine moves to Rainhill were frustrated when on Saturday 17 May, LMS Princess Royal Class 6201 ''Princess Elizabeth'' started line side fires in the Ruabon area, leading to the imposition of a steam ban. As a result, a diesel-hauled convoy of SVR locomotives and rolling stock departed for Rainhill on Monday 19 May<ref name=SVR56/>.
