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==Minor Derailmentsderailments==
In summer 1977 the SVR experienced two minor derailments in quick succession. The first was unusual for the reason it happened; 45110’s rear coupled driving wheels were derailed by a piece of coal in Bridgnorth yard! The second was notable for the manner in which it was resolved; 47383 got ‘in the dirt’ at Highley while on standby duty. Once the crew had packed the wheels with some handy fishplates that were lying about, a Driver/Director passing on 80079 left his own locomotive, boarded the casualty, drove it back onto the rails, re-joined his own train and left without any delay to the passenger service.<ref>SVR News 44</ref>
During 1982, passengers between Arley and Hampton Loade were surprised to find themselves passing Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Highley had been renamed for the filming of a [[List of film and TV productions filmed on the Severn Valley Railway | TV commercial]].
==Nesting Thrush thrush floors 3205==
In 1983, 3205 failed a Fitness To Run examination for an unlikely reason; a thrush had nested in the cab! The locomotive returned to service once the fledglings had flown the nest.
==Lady A' steps-in for Clun Castle==
Also in 1983, Hunslet 686 The Lady Armaghdale spent 7 weeks at the Birmingham Railway Museum (now Tyseley Locomotive Works) and took place in Tyseley’s celebrations of 75 years as a steam depot. Sunday 5 June was scheduled to be Industrial Steam Day, but Tyseley’s own Peckett was out of action. In an unusual role reversal, ‘Lady A’ hauled passenger services all day while 7029 Clun Castle acted as Depot shunter.
The late John Leach was for many years the SVR’s [[Marketing Department|Marketing Manager]]. Two examples of his maxim that ‘children and animals make a good story’. In 1995 the SVR membership hit 16,000, including a Dalmatian dog which had been enrolled by his owner. When contacted, the owner agreed that this would make a good local news item. The story escalated, eventually reaching several of the national tabloids (the Daily Star in typical fashion referring to the Dalmatian as ‘A new breed of train-spotter’). The same year a 10 year old girl sent a donation of £20.63 to the Railway which she had saved over the previous 6 months. The Bewdley office staff rounded this up to £25 which bought her a £25 share in the Railway. A ‘news photocall’ of the presentation was organised, which BBC ‘Midlands Today’ attended, and later broadcast a 4 minute news item on prime-time evening television. As John Leach pointed out, a 4 minute advertisement on Central TV would have cost the Railway around £215,000. Such is the value of a good story.
== 5764's Rapid Entry to SVR ServiceThe last steam train from Paddington (again)==5764 was acquired direct from London Transport, arriving in LT livery on 19 June 1971 and entering service shortly thereafterFrom [https://www.facebook. An indication of just how quickly it entered service may be judged by the lighting of com/DidcotRailwayCentre/photos/a fire in the engine whilst it was being unloaded from the low-loader.210517012308528/2810621732298030/?type=3&theater Didcot Railway Centre Facebook page, 24 May 2019].
In the early hours of Saturday 24 May 1969, a remarkable event happened. We were in the depths of the notorious Steam Ban. British Rail had announced in August 1968 that steam locomotives would never again run on their lines, when we learned that an ex-GWR pannier tank locomotive was going to run through Paddington station, no less! All right, it was a pannier tank owned by London Transport and it was going to run through platform 15 which was now used by Metropolitan Line trains and no longer linked to the British Rail tracks in Paddington’s suburban station. Neverthess it was worth turning up at 1.20 in the morning to get a photograph of what we asked at the time was the first FIRST steam train at Paddington since the last LAST one had departed nearly four years previously. The locomotive L.95 was previously GWR No [[5764]]. The reason for its unusual nocturnal visit was that it was hauling the 12.30am workman’s train from Lillie Bridge, which worked along the Metropolitan Line towards Hammersmith for track maintenance use. The train was usually hauled by a battery electric locomotive and our friends on London Transport made sure we were tipped off about the substitution. The locomotive L.95/5764 is now preserved on the Severn Valley Railway. == 5764's rapid entry to SVR service==[[5764]] was acquired direct from London Transport, arriving in LT livery on 19 June 1971 and entering service shortly thereafter. An indication of just how quickly it entered service may be judged by the lighting of a fire in the engine whilst it was being unloaded from the low-loader. ==The Steaming steaming Granny==
Anthea Hanscomb was no stranger to the footplate, having driven Flying Scotsman at Tyseley Railway Museum when aged 72. On 30th June 2001 she attended an SVR “Steam Supreme” driving course as an 80th Birthday treat. Anthea duly completed the 64 mile driving course aboard 80079 with eight coaches in tow. One or two ‘slips’ on departure were considered acceptable, it being a wet day.
From Alfred Powick via Facebook;<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/2360466988/permalink/10153513176546989/?comment_id=10153519030031989&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D Unofficial SVR Facebook page]</ref><br>
"Stourport coal from Highley was usually loaded in CEGB 20 tonners... A large proportion of Highley coal was good quality household coal, and most of the coal for Stourport came from the Cannock area often brought down to Hartlebury by Midland Region locos or a Stourbridge 56xx. A Kiddy pannier or 56xx shuttled it between Hartlebury and Stourport while the Midland loco turned using the triangle via Bewdley."
"I started my career with the NCB at Highley, spending some time on the screens, so seeing the loads going out. I also spent time in the survey office and later as an official there so knew the production which came from one seam only (the Brooch). It was good house coal. <br>
