WD 71516 Welsh Guardsman and Spring Steam Gala: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox steam loco
[[File:60019 20120325.jpg|thumb|300px|right|2012 Spring Steam Gala guest 60019 Bittern]]The '''Spring Steam Gala''' is the smaller of the two annual enthusiasts' galas with visiting locomotives and a more intensive timetable, but without the all night running of the [[Autumn Steam Gala]]. This event typically takes place in late March and in recent years was billed by the SVR as "opening the season", even though trains commenced for the February half-term week. The event normally incorporated three days of gala from Friday to Sunday. Other common features included demonstration freight trains and shorter local, part-line services.
|image      = WD_71516_20200307.jpg
|caption    = WD 71516 Welsh Guardsman at Bridgnorth
|construc  = Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns
|wheels    = 0-6-0ST
|status    = Serviceable, temporarily resident
|locono    = WD 71516
|othernos  = Works Number RSH 7170/1944
|designed  = Hunslet Engine Company
|locotype  = '''WD Austerity'''
|built      = 1944
|years1    = 1947
|events1    = Entered NCB service
|years2    = 1980
|events2    = Preserved
|years3    = 2013/14
|events3    = Overhauled and rededicated
|years4    = 2020
|events4    = Arrived on SVR
|length    = 30ft 4"
|weight    = 48t 5cwt
|power      = 23.870 lb
|pressure  = 170 lb/sq in
}}
'''WD 71516 "Welsh Guardsman"''' is a WD Austerity 0-6-0ST. It arrived on the SVR in February 2020 as a temporary resident.  


At the beginning of World War 2 the War Department initially selected the [[48773|LMS 3F 0-6-0T 'Jinty']] as its standard shunting locomotive. However they were persuaded by the Hunslet Engine Company that a simplified version of that company's 50550 0-6-0ST design would be more suitable. The first locomotive was completed at their Leeds works at the start of 1943, with a total of 377 being ordered during the war and completed to the requirements of the Ministry of Supply by 1947. A number of these engines were built by Andrew Barclay, W. G. Bagnall, Hudswell Clarke, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns, and the Vulcan Foundry, all acting as sub-contractors.  
From time to time visiting locomotives have been utilised for regular passenger services in the days after the gala. They are again also used for private photographic charters, after a gap in the practice between 2021 and 2023.


After the war ended, many of the military examples were sold into industry with only 90 being retained for use on military railways. 75 were also sold to the LNER who classified them as J94. At the same time construction of the type continued for use in industry, while a further small batch was also built for the War Department in the 1950s including former SVR resident [[WD 193 Shropshire]]. A total of 485 were eventually produced, with the last examples not completed until 1964.  
==History==
The first Spring Steam Gala was a one day event held on 10 April 1976 and attended by more than 2,500 travellers.<ref>SVR News 39</ref> It became a two day event the following year although still staged in April, a format maintained during the 1980s and 1990s. Early galas used home engines only, with [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas#1990-1999|guest locomotives]] appearing regularly from 1992.


==WD 71516 in service==
In 2000 the Spring Steam Gala moved to March, the first being a 3-day event on 8-10 March 2000 advertised as a 'Branch Line Gala Weekend'.<ref>SVR News 131</ref> A number of subsequent galas were also branded as Branch Line Galas, some taking local themes such as 'Somerset and Dorset' or 'Welsh'.<ref>SVR News 138,141</ref>
WD 71516 was built for the War Department by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in 1944 as Works Number 7170. It was delivered new to the Ministry of Fuel & Power and was based at East Cramlington in Northumberland.


After wartime service ended, the locomotive was bought by the National Coal Board in 1947. It worked at various locations in Northumberland including Hartley Main Colliery at Killingworth, West Moor Colliery at Ashington, East Cramlington, and opencast mines at Swalwell, Widdrington and Broomhill.  
From 2020 it was held in an April spot.


In January 1959 the locomotive was moved to Carmarthenshire in South Wales, working at Cynheidre Colliery in the Gwendraeth valley. The locomotive was photographed there circa 1967 by David Cooke; at the time it was out if service as no coupling rods were fitted.
==Notable events==
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
S2890_WD71516_David_Cooke.jpg |WD 71516 at Cynheidre circa 1967 (David Cooke)
</gallery> 


In October 1968 a further move took place to Graig Merthyr Colliery near Pontardulais, northwest of Swansea. From 1976 until 1980 the locomotive was retained at Pontardulais as a source of spares, before being saved by the Welsh Industrial & Maritime Museum<ref name=Gwili>[https://gwili-railway.co.uk/enthusiasts/steam-locomotives/ Gwili Railway] (retrieved 28 February 2020)</ref><ref>[https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7170-wd-71516-welsh-guardsman/ Preserved British Steam Locomotives website] (Retrieved 19 November 2021)</ref>.
*'''2004''' and '''2011''' No galas due to engineering work.
*'''2008''' No gala due to the [[2007 Storm Damage]], although guest locomotive S&DJR 88 took part in the reopening weekend.
*'''2013''' The Spring Steam Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in attendances being around half of the numbers expected. In '''2018''' heavy snow hit the third day (Sunday). The Railway still managed to run the services as planned.
*'''2020'''  Due to work on [[Falling Sands Viaduct]] closing the line between Bewdley and Kidderminster, the gala was retimed towards the end of April before being one of the events cancelled due to the [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]].
*'''2021''' The event was again arranged for April due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also marketed as the 'Spring Steam Up', the SVR opting not to use the term 'Gala'.
*'''2022''' Again arranged for April due to the replacement of [[Kidderminster Footbridge]] and the need to prepare for [[Bridgnorth Loco Works|Bridgnorth Loco Shed]] reroofing.
*'''2023''' Again arranged for April due to the first phase of the [[Bridgnorth MPD|Bridgnorth yard relay project]]. Advertised as a three day event (Friday to Sunday).  The preceding Thursday featured curated excursion trains with [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas#2020-present|visiting GWR Collett 4073 Castle class 4-6-0 4079 Pendennis Castle]].


==WD 71516 in preservation==
==Passenger numbers==
The Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum was located in Butetown, Cardiff and closed in 1998 with its exhibits redistributed.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Industrial_and_Maritime_Museum Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum on Wikipedia] (Retrieved 29 February 2020)</ref>
From time-to-time the SVR publishes the number of Gala passengers, according to the method of counting these which has varied over time (for example, since 2010 documents sent to shareholders became valid as a ticket which did not need to be exchanged for travel).<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1936 SVR Forum shareholders' Passes thread]</ref>  


On arrival at Bronwydd Arms on the Gwili Railway, WD 71516 was rebuilt using parts from other locomotives including the boiler from Hunslet No. 3822 and the cab and tank of Bagnall No 2758. The locomotive was given its war department number 71516 and named "Welsh Guardsman" in a special ceremony at Bronwydd Arms.<ref name=Gwili/> The locomotive was last overhauled at Llangollen between 2011 and 2013,<ref>[http://www.uklocos.com/final-results.asp?action=display&id=733 UK Locos] (retrieved 28 February 2020)</ref> after which it was rededicated at a ceremony at Bronwydd Arms on 9 June 2014.<ref name=Gwili/>
The following is an incomplete record.


<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
WD_71516_20151010.jpg| WD 71516 at the Gwili Railway in 2015
!Year !! Number of passengers!! Reference !! Notes
</gallery>
|-
 
| 2008 ||  ||  || No Gala following the 2007 storm damage.
On 27 February 2020 WD 71516 arrived by road at Bridgnorth. The SVR announced that it had ''...agreed to host Welsh Guardsman while the owner decides on the operating opportunities for the loco during the 2020 season. [[Bridgnorth Loco Works|Bridgnorth Locomotive Works]] will undertake some examination and maintenance work and we will potentially have the chance to use the locomotive''.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blmar20 'Welsh Guardsman touches down', Branch Lines March 2020] (Retrieved 7 December 2020)</ref> The [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic]] meant the locomotive stayed at Bridgnorth with occasional steamings within station limits only for exam purposes until, on 7 December 2020, the SVR announced that the locomotive was on hire to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/MeetTheLoco.aspx?id=20 'Meet Our Locomotives', SVR Website] (Retrieved 7 December 2020)</ref> A further loan period followed in 2021/22 before the locomotive returned, advertised to make its SVR debut at the 2022 [[Spring Steam Gala]].
|-
 
| 2009 || ||  || 
The locomotive is owned by '''Felinfoel Brewery'''<ref name=Gwili/>.
|-
| 2010 || ||  || 
|-
| 2011 || ||  ||  No Gala due to engineering work.
|-
| 2012 || 4,209|| <ref name="SSG1 ">[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2305&start=195 'Spring Gala 2012', SVR Online thread]</ref> || 
|-
| 2013 || ||  ||  The Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in reduced attendance
|-
| 2014 ||3,900 ||  || 
|-
| 2015 || 4,313|| ||
|-
| 2016 ||3,537 || ||  Depressed number because of the non-appearance at the gala of announced visitor [[6990 Witherslack Hall]]
|-
| 2017 || 4,537||  || 
|-
| 2018 || 4,541||  ||  The Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in reduced attendance
|-
| 2019 || 3,472||<ref name="NBI">SVR NBI</ref>  || 
|-
| 2020 ||  ||  || No Gala due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown 
|-
| 2021 ||  2,588 || <ref name="NBI"/> || "Spring Steam Up" special event held over 4 days but with reduced capacity, replacing Gala due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
|-
| 2022 || ~7,500 || SVR's PR: "around 7,500 visitors" || Reverted to normal format, held over 4 days but without the usual full line demonstration goods trains to conserve coal stocks.
|-
| 2023 || 5,002 || The Railway Magazine, May 2023 || Paying passengers only, excluding shareholder vouchers and passes. Held over 3 days.
|-
|}


==See also==
==See also==
[[Steam Locomotives]]
[[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas]]<br>
[[SVR Passenger numbers]]


==References==
==References==
<references/>
<references />
 
==Links==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunslet_Austerity_0-6-0ST Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST on Wikipedia]
*[https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7170-wd-71516-welsh-guardsman/ WD 71516 on Preserved British Locomotives]

Revision as of 21:41, 5 May 2023

2012 Spring Steam Gala guest 60019 Bittern

The Spring Steam Gala is the smaller of the two annual enthusiasts' galas with visiting locomotives and a more intensive timetable, but without the all night running of the Autumn Steam Gala. This event typically takes place in late March and in recent years was billed by the SVR as "opening the season", even though trains commenced for the February half-term week. The event normally incorporated three days of gala from Friday to Sunday. Other common features included demonstration freight trains and shorter local, part-line services.

From time to time visiting locomotives have been utilised for regular passenger services in the days after the gala. They are again also used for private photographic charters, after a gap in the practice between 2021 and 2023.

History[edit | edit source]

The first Spring Steam Gala was a one day event held on 10 April 1976 and attended by more than 2,500 travellers.[1] It became a two day event the following year although still staged in April, a format maintained during the 1980s and 1990s. Early galas used home engines only, with guest locomotives appearing regularly from 1992.

In 2000 the Spring Steam Gala moved to March, the first being a 3-day event on 8-10 March 2000 advertised as a 'Branch Line Gala Weekend'.[2] A number of subsequent galas were also branded as Branch Line Galas, some taking local themes such as 'Somerset and Dorset' or 'Welsh'.[3]

From 2020 it was held in an April spot.

Notable events[edit | edit source]

  • 2004 and 2011 No galas due to engineering work.
  • 2008 No gala due to the 2007 Storm Damage, although guest locomotive S&DJR 88 took part in the reopening weekend.
  • 2013 The Spring Steam Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in attendances being around half of the numbers expected. In 2018 heavy snow hit the third day (Sunday). The Railway still managed to run the services as planned.
  • 2020 Due to work on Falling Sands Viaduct closing the line between Bewdley and Kidderminster, the gala was retimed towards the end of April before being one of the events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 2021 The event was again arranged for April due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also marketed as the 'Spring Steam Up', the SVR opting not to use the term 'Gala'.
  • 2022 Again arranged for April due to the replacement of Kidderminster Footbridge and the need to prepare for Bridgnorth Loco Shed reroofing.
  • 2023 Again arranged for April due to the first phase of the Bridgnorth yard relay project. Advertised as a three day event (Friday to Sunday). The preceding Thursday featured curated excursion trains with visiting GWR Collett 4073 Castle class 4-6-0 4079 Pendennis Castle.

Passenger numbers[edit | edit source]

From time-to-time the SVR publishes the number of Gala passengers, according to the method of counting these which has varied over time (for example, since 2010 documents sent to shareholders became valid as a ticket which did not need to be exchanged for travel).[4]

The following is an incomplete record.

Year Number of passengers Reference Notes
2008 No Gala following the 2007 storm damage.
2009
2010
2011 No Gala due to engineering work.
2012 4,209 [5]
2013 The Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in reduced attendance
2014 3,900
2015 4,313
2016 3,537 Depressed number because of the non-appearance at the gala of announced visitor 6990 Witherslack Hall
2017 4,537
2018 4,541 The Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in reduced attendance
2019 3,472 [6]
2020 No Gala due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
2021 2,588 [6] "Spring Steam Up" special event held over 4 days but with reduced capacity, replacing Gala due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
2022 ~7,500 SVR's PR: "around 7,500 visitors" Reverted to normal format, held over 4 days but without the usual full line demonstration goods trains to conserve coal stocks.
2023 5,002 The Railway Magazine, May 2023 Paying passengers only, excluding shareholder vouchers and passes. Held over 3 days.

See also[edit | edit source]

Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas
SVR Passenger numbers

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ SVR News 39
  2. ↑ SVR News 131
  3. ↑ SVR News 138,141
  4. ↑ SVR Forum shareholders' Passes thread
  5. ↑ 'Spring Gala 2012', SVR Online thread
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 SVR NBI

Severn Valley Railway

Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway, jointly operated by the London and South Western and Midland Railways (later Southern and London Midland and Scottish Railways)

In reference to the direction of travel means towards the major terminus (i.e. towards Kidderminster on the present day SVR)

Notice Board Issue. The SVR's on-line method of circulating information to working members.

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