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46443 saw use on the SVR in the early gala events before the official opening of the SVR. On 27 September 1969, 46443 and [[3205]] together with a number of other items of SVR rolling stock were piloted by a BR Class 47 from Bewdley to Tyseley to take part in an open day there. The route taken was via Stourport, Worcester, Honeybourne, Long Marston and Stratford-upon-Avon.<ref>SVR News 14</ref> 46443 and 3205 had both originally arrived on the SVR facing south, but 46443 returned from the open day facing north, becoming the only locomotive to be turned to face in a different direction before the SVR opened in May 1970.<ref>SVR News 115, "North and South before the Turntable", Quentin Haigh</ref>
46443 was one of the locomotives used on the opening weekend in May 1970. [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]] bought the locomotive from Richard Willcox in 1972.<ref group="note">SVR policy was always that locomotives were not normally acquired by the Company. The reason for 46443 being bought was not given in SVR News, although it had recorded the highest mileage of any SVR loco at the time and may therefore have been seen as a 'useful engine'. The purchase attracted no adverse comments at the time, unlike the subsequent Company acquisitions of [[4930|4930 Hagley Hall]] and [[45110]].</ref> It was taken out of service in early 1973 after the right trailing axle box caught fire. Repairs lasted until the following year, with the locomotive re-entering revenue earning service on 19 May 1974.<ref>SVR News 34</ref>. In 1975 it was repainted red for filming purposes (see below), later becoming LMS 6443<ref group="note">The LMS livery would have been carried by the first LMS-built examples, although not by BR-built 46443 itself.</ref> in summer 1977 and continuing in use until being withdrawn at the end of 1979 due to the poor condition of the flue tubes. It had covered more than 29,000 miles on around 600 steaming days, more than any other SVR locomotive in the same period.
After spending the next few years in storage, SVR(H) announced in late 1983 that the locomotive had been sold as part of the deal that brought [[LMS Stanier Jubilee 45690 Leander|45690 Leander]] to the SVR, and that the locomotive would move to Loughborough after repairs to the boiler had been carried out.<ref>SVR News 70</ref> However the move did not take place, and a fund was launched to 'buy back' the locomotive,<ref>SVR News 71-72</ref> during which time it gained the nickname 'The Peoples Engine'. A part of the successful fund-raising entailed the sale of T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "46443 The Peoples Engine". Part of the proceeds of the summer 1984 [[:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|SVRA raffle]] were also earmarked to help the fund (the rest being used to fund better washing facilities for working volunteers).<ref>SVR News 73, 74</ref> It is now owned by the [[SVR 46443 Fund]], having been re-acquired in Autumn 1984.<ref>SVR News 73</ref>. Following completion of the boiler repairs and an overhaul to main line condition, the locomotive re-entered service in October 1984.<ref>SVR News 75</ref>
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In addition to these main line appearances, service continued on the SVR until 1991, when 46443 failed with burst small tubes while on hire to the Llangollen Railway.<ref>SVR News 100/101</ref>.
Following a full re-tube and other repairs, 46443 returned to service in summer 1993. On 16 August 2004, the locomotive was involved in a collision with a van on [[Fishermen's Crossing]].<ref>SVR News 148</ref> The SVR was later cleared of any blame for the accident.<ref>SVR News 149</ref> 46443 was prematurely withdrawn from service after the 1998 Autumn Steam Gala weekend, once again suffering from issues with boiler tubes.<ref>SVR News 128</ref>
46443 returned to service once more in time for the 2001 [[Christmas services|Santa Special services]].<ref>SVR News 139</ref> As well as working lighter passenger services, it was regularly used on 'driving school' footplate experiences and 'Obbo trips'.<ref>SVR News 144, 146 etc</ref>. It completed a full 'ten year ticket', although shortly after gaining an extension it suffered a steam leak due to a corroded superheater header and was finally withdrawn in October 2011 having covered 145,997 miles in preservation.<ref>SVR News 176</ref>
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46443_20090912.jpg|46443 with a special, September 2009
46443_20100307.jpg|46442 46443 on Eardington Bank, March 201046443_20110501.jpg|46442 46443 on Eardington Bank, May 2011
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