Changes

Since 2021 the SVR's '''Vintage Transport Extravaganza''' is its main event celebrating vintage transport. It combines elements of earlier events such as Steam on the Road, Classic Car Vehicle Day and On the Buses events. Typically it includes static displays at stations along the line of vintage cars, traction engines, tractors, motorcycles, buses and commercial vehicles. Other attractions have included tractor and traction engine road runs, a live steam model railway and the operation of [[Other rolling stock visiting the SVR|PSL 193 'Plimsoll']], Mark Saville’s 1957 Series 1 2-litre petrol road-rail Land Rover. A modified standard timetable is used, and standard fares apply.

An This article includes a history of these earlier events up to that time. It draws in part on an article by Rob Whale appeared in SVR News 219 for Autumn 2022 entitled 'SVR classic vehicle day events'; Rob having been involved in organising many of the events between 1991 and 2019<ref name=News219>SVR News 219, pp.48-49.''SVR Classic Vehicle Day Events'', Rob Whale</ref>.

==Early eventsorganised by the EMF: 1985-1990==The SVR's first [[Kidderminster]]-based heritage bus-themed gala event, was advertised as the '''Kidderminster Historic Road/Rail Rally''' and was held on 12 Sunday 13 October 1985 combined , coinciding with the second day of the [[Diesel galas|autumn diesel galaWestern Diesel Weekend]]. It was organised by [[The Erlestoke Manor Fund]] in aid of the restoration of [[7802|7802 Bradley Manor]] and featured over 70 vehicles including vintage cars and other commercial vehicles as well as buses. A vintage bus service operated at half-hourly intervals between Kidderminster and [[Bewdley]] using a 1940 Trent single deck bus and a 1950 Bedford Duple coach. The event was a success and the decision was taken to make it an annual event.<ref>SVR News 78</ref>

Similar events hosted by 1986 and 1987 took the EMF were then held annually at Kidderminster until 1990same format, still coinciding with the October diesel gala weekend, becoming known as under the '''Classic Vehicle Day''' or shorter title of '''Vintage Vehicle DaySunday'''. From 1988 until 1990 it became a standalone event, held on a weekend between the Autumn Steam Gala and the October diesel gala.<ref>SVR News 86</ref>

In 1988 the == Joint SVR / Worcester Bus Preservation Society events: 1991-2002==During 1991 an experimental "Crossley Vintage Bus Service" ran a separate Classic Vehicle Day for on the first timeSunday of each month, linking Kidderminster and Bewdley stations with the Bewdley Museum in the town centre. Unfortunately it having previously been combined with did not attract sufficient passengers and was withdrawn after three Sundays as Wyre Forest Leisure were unable to continue financial support of the [[Diesel galas|autumn diesel gala]]service.<ref>SVR News 8699, p. 25.</ref>

===Classic Vehicle Day 1991-2002===In The 1991 annual event was renamed the event '''SVR Rail/Road Rally''' and was organised jointly by the SVR and the Worcester Bus Preservation Society as , with Rob Whale chairing the '''SVR Rail/Road Rally'''Organising Committee.<ref name=News219>SVR News 219</ref> The second such event, the 1992 was held on part of BR'''Vintage Vehicle Rally''' on 11 October at s KidderminsterStation car park, was attended by more than with around 100 classic vehicles including some seventy buses, thirty cars and a dozen commercial vehicles. Eight single decker coached on display and four double decker buses provided a shuttle between Kidderminster and Bewdleyrides offered to the public.<ref>SVR News 106<name=News219/ref>

The joint SVR / Worcester Bus Preservation Society events continued in second such event, the same format until the twelfth and final 1992 '''Classic Vintage Vehicle DayRally''' which was held on 14 11 October 2001at Kidderminster, was attended by more than 100 classic vehicles including some seventy buses, thirty cars and a dozen commercial vehicles. It included "...''the usual 'Eight single decker and four double decker buses provided a shuttle between Kidderminster and Bewdley Shuttle' and Green Street 'Park & Ride' services''".<ref>SVR News 139106</ref> The latter service allowed the SVR public to park in a hired car park in the town and catch a classic bus to the Railway, while the classic vehicle event took place on the station car park.

In early 2002 The joint SVR / Worcester Bus Preservation Society events continued in broadly the agreement to use same format under the town car park was withdrawn title of '''Vintage Vehicle Day''' (1992-1995) and the October 2002 event was reduced in scope, becoming a '''Classic Car & Bike Vehicle Day''' with no buses(1996 onward).<ref>SVR News 142</ref> Shortly before that timeBy 1999 there were more than 300 exhibits displayed at the BR station car park and another car park off Comberton Place, a passenger was injured after falling from the platform of a bus as it was pulling away, caused by them doing something unexpected well as Bewdley and that they should not have been doing or even consideringBridgnorth stations. This uncovered an issue about the responsibility of insurance cover for the buses and other vehicles attending the festival, which contributed to its demise<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?tname=1737&highlight=buses SVR Forum thread] (Retrieved 18 July 2020)<News219/ref>.

===Later Classic Vehicle Days===A further Classic Car Day The twelfth and final such event, which was held on 14 October 2001, included "...''the usual 'Bewdley Shuttle' and Green Street 'Park & Ride' services''".<ref>SVR News 139</ref> The 'Park and Ride' service allowed the SVR public to park in a hired car park in 2015 the town and catch a classic bus to the Railway. Unfortunately a passenger was injured after falling from the platform of a bus as it was pulling away, resulting in an acrimonious insurance claim. As a Classic Vehicle Day result, the Bus Preservation Society no longer participated in 2016 with more than 150 further events; the issue about the responsibility of insurance cover for the buses and other vehicles scheduled attending the festival also contributed to appearthe event's demise<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1737&highlight=buses SVR Forum thread] (Retrieved 18 July 2020)</ref>.

===1960s Transport Day Classic car and bike day 2002-2011===This was first held Adding to host an incoming Hertfordshire Railtours HSTthe problems in 2001, the agreement to use the town centre car park as a 'park and included cars, ride' was withdrawn in early 2002. However the SVR wished to continue with a similar vehicle-themed event. The October 2002 event became a '''Classic Car & Bike Day''' with around 180 exhibits although no buses, lorries and bikes.These were displayed entirely on the SVR's own property at the various stations along the line at no additional charge.<ref>SVR News 142</ref><ref namegroup=News219"note">Prior to 2002 the public paid a separate admission fee to view the buses and coaches in the enclosed area at Kidderminster.</ref>

The Classic Car and Bike day, with Rob Whale as sole organiser, continued as a regular annual event until 2011.<ref name=News219/><ref group==On the Buses===In 2009 the SVR ran a trial "note">The event to see if there in October 2007 was an appetite for a 'busfest' type event. From 2010 to 2017 advertised before the June 2007 storm damage; SVR held annual '''On the Buses''' events from Bewdley and Kidderminster. Typically news did not report whether it featured visiting heritage or celebrity buses on display or offering rides between stations or around the local area, together with sales and information stands selling a range of bus related items and memorabiliatook place.</ref>

==Later Classic Vehicle Days: 2013-2019=Bewdley Bus Rally =After Rob decided to 'retire', the Classic Car and Bike Day was missing from the 2012 timetable. The 2013timetable saw the resumption of the October '''Classic Vehicle Day''', billed as "Back by popular demand".<ref>SVR News 181</ref> Between 2014 and 2018 the event was held in July. Rob Whale 'came out of retirement' to organise the final Classic Vehicle Day which was held on 31 August 2019.<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">27 buses attended this eventVintage_Vehicles_20190810. jpg | Vintage vehicles at Bridgnorth in 2019</gallery>

===Mechanical Horse Weekend 2013=1960s Transport Day: 2002-2011==An event of In 2002 the SVR hosted an incoming Hertfordshire Railtours HST rail tour. A request to SVR Marketing Manager [[Heritage buses and other vehicles#Other_vehiclesMarketing Department|Scammell Mechanical HorseJohn Leach]] vehicles for an event to entertain the visiting passengers resulted in the first '''1960's Transport Day'''. This was held at Kidderminsterand mainly featured classic cars together with a few buses, lorries and bikes.It became an annual event, normally held in February, and expanded to include exhibits at Bewdley and Kiderminster. However it was always subject to 'February weather' and organiser Rob Whale made the decision to end it after the 2010 and 2011 events were both badly rain-affected.<ref name=News219/>

==On the Buses: 2010-2019==In September 2009, the SVR ran a trial "Bus Rally" at Bewdley to see if there was an appetite for the return of a 'busfest' type event. It proved successful and from the following year became an annual September event called '''On the Buses'''.<ref>SVR News 172</ref><ref group="note">The event was advertised under its formal name "On the Buses" between 2010 and 2019. From time to time, reports in SVR News would still refer to it as the "Bewdley Bus Rally".</ref>  The event featured visiting heritage or celebrity buses on display or offering rides between stations or around the local area, together with sales and information stands selling a range of bus related items and memorabilia. 27 buses attended the event in 2013. It continued as an annual Bewdley-based event until September 2019.<ref>SVR News 205</ref>  ==Steam on the Road=: 2017-2019==From at least 2016 to 2019 an August 2017 saw the introduction of a two-day '''Steam on the Road''' event offered featuring a weekend of vintage steam steamrollers, traction engines and steam wagons. The event was repeated in 2018 and 2019.<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Steam_on_the_Road_20180811.jpg | Steam on the Road, Kidderminster 2018</gallery> ==Other classic transport events==May 2008 included a two-day event celebrating '''60 Years of Land Rover''', featuring "Original 1948 examples right through to the present day - up to 200 Land Rovers up and down the Valley!".<ref> SVR News 160.</ref> Further one-day Land Rover days took place in May 2010 and May 2011.<ref>SVR News 169</ref>  In May 2013 a three-day event of [[Heritage buses and other vehicles#Other_vehicles|Scammell Mechanical Horse]] vehicles was held at Kidderminster.<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Scammell ELH 490.jpg|A Scammell mechanical horse at Kidderminster. Photo: SVR</gallery> ==2020 onward==The 2020 timetable included plans for the usual two-day Steam on the Road event but no Classic Vehicle Day. It also noted that the September 'On the Buses' would not take place at Bewdley, with the main displays moving to Kidderminster and Bridgnorth including rides from both stations.<ref>SVR News 209</ref>. However none of these events took place as a result of the [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic]] which required complete closure of the railway between March and July, followed by limited pre-booked services with rigorous social distancing for the rest of the year. In 2021 responsibility for the new 'Vintage Transport Extravaganza' was taken over by the SVR's paid events team<ref name=News219/>.