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Bridgnorth Loco Works

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[[File:Bridgnorth_MPD_v2_20150614.jpg| thumb|400px|right|Bridgnorth MPD including the loco shed, machine shop and boiler shop]]
[[File:S7649_Loco_Yard_Bridgnorth_1972_David_Cooke.jpg| thumb|400px|right|Bridgnorth MPD in 1972 (David Cooke)]] '''Bridgnorth Loco Works''' is the home to [[Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services]] and is the SVR's main steam locomotive maintenance, repair and restoration facility. The Loco Works forms part of the [[Bridgnorth MPD]] and mainly occupies four buildings, the Loco Shed (ex-Portskewett), the Machine Shop (formerly the GWR Goods Shed), the Paint Shop (ex-[https://www.flickr.com/photos/40263244@N04/6639918873 Heaton Mersey diesel depot]) and the Boiler Shop. There is also a pattern shop, where patterns for castings are made and stored.
The Loco Works is normally closed to the public, although the Loco Shed and Machine Shop may be open for viewing during Gala events such as the [[Open House Weekend]].
When preservation began, the former Bridgnorth goods shed was initially used as a loco shed although it was very restricted in size. In spring 1972 the [[Guarantee Company|SVR Company]] purchased the ex-B.R. Diesel Depot building at Heaton Mersey, Stockport.<ref>SVR News 23</ref> Later that year a large disused building at Portskewett, near Severn Tunnel Junction, was also identified as a possible loco shed building.<ref>SVR News 31</ref> When the latter building was acquired in 1974, it was planned to begin construction using the Heaton Mersey building, with the Portskewett shed potentially being destined for the [[Stourport Triangle]].<ref>SVR News 33</ref> However when construction of the loco shed began in [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1976 | March 1976]], it was done using parts of the former Portskewett Shed, with the pits being dug the following November and the building completed in April 1977.<ref>SVR News 44</ref> The ex-Heaton Mersey shed was added in 1978 to the rear of the ex-Portskewett Shed, adjacent to the Goods Shed.<ref>SVR News 49</ref>
In 2009 an upgrade to The small brick building on the loco shed included left in the installation of roller shutter doors, side windows to improve lighting, main pictures above pre-dates preservation and the provision of is used an enclosed paint shop within the ex-Heaton Mersey buildingoil store. A capital project for a new roof, lighting and overhead crane planned for 2020Two other BR-2021 was initially put on hold due era buildings in front of the Goods Shed seen in the 1972 view were demolished shortly afterwards to make way for the effects of 'new' loco shed.  In autumn 1990 the "Wash & Brush Up LNER Style" [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|SVRA raffle]].<ref>SVR(H) annual report and financial statements raised money for new amenities for the period ended 5 January 2020</ref> The [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd]] intend to raise £80,000 during 2021, with a start to be made that summerWorks<ref>SVR News212News 97</ref>.
===Wheel drop===
The loco shed includes a wheel drop which was formerly located at the Leicester Midland MPD (shed 15C). This was purchased and installed following an appeal for funds launched in [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2000-2009#2009 | summer 2009]]. Installation involved digging a hole 6m deep, relocating a mains water pipe and pouring 200m<sup>3</sup> of concrete.<ref>[http://www.georgelaw.co.uk/casestudies/actual/bridgnorthwheeldrop.aspx Bridgnorth Wheel Drop case study on George Law's web site]</ref> The wheel drop won the [[Awards|National Railway Heritage Awards FirstGroup Skills Award]] in 2010.<ref>[http://nrha.org.uk/winners-2010/] NRHA Awards 2010]</ref>
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File:Wheel Drop Phil Cooper 5.jpg
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===2009 upgrade project===
An upgrade to the loco shed was also carried out in 2009, including the installation of roller shutter doors, side windows to improve lighting, and the provision of an enclosed paint shop within the ex-Heaton Mersey building.
 
===2022 upgrade project===
By 2020 the loco shed roof was leaking and was thought to have only a two year lifespan. Lighting in the works was also considered inadequate, and there was no fit-for-purpose method of moving heavy items. A capital project planned for 2020-2021 was initially put on hold due to the effects of the [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic]].<ref>SVR(H) annual report and financial statements for the period ended 5 January 2020</ref> The [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|Charitable Trust's]] planned appeal in 2020 was deferred for the same reason.<ref>SVR Charitable Trust annual report and financial statements for the period ended 30 June 2020</ref>
 
The project included:
*A new roof with insulated panels, with at least 15% translucent to maximise daylight.
*Environmental measures including water harvesting and LED lighting to give full illumination throughout the building.
*Installing an 8-tonne overhead travelling crane, allowing heavy items to be moved safely and with ease.
 
In early 2021 the Charitable Trust launched its "Home and Dry appeal". The project was the subject of the spring 2021 [[:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|"Home and Dry" raffle]].<ref>SVR News 212, 213</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blmar21 Branch Lines, March 2021]</ref>
 
The quoted cost of the project escalated. SVR News Winter 2020 quoted a figure of £80,000. The Charitable Trust's planned 2020 appeal had aimed to raise £250,000. The Home and Dry appeal was for a revised project cost of £425,000, later increased to £475,000 because of the 'spiralling cost of steel and additional improvements that are needed inside the works'.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blaug21 Branch Lines August 2021]</ref> On 25 January 2022 the Charitable Trust announced that the whole £475,000 had been raised.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/2022/01/25/the-severn-valley-railway-is-home-dry/ SVR Website] (retrieved 18 February 2022</ref> A small further appeal of £15,000 covered improved epoxy resin flooring.<ref name=blaug22>[https://www.svrlive.com/bldec21 Branch Lines, August 2022]</ref>
 
Contractors arrived on site in April 2022, with areas out of bounds including the main locomotive shed and paint shop. A second-hand 6.3 ton capacity crane and supporting steel structure were installed as part of the works.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blnov21 Branch Lines November 2021]</ref> The works were completed on time and on budget.<ref name=blaug22/>
 
[[Paintings of the Severn Valley Railway#Alan_Reade|Alan Reade]] produced limited edition prints of the shed, presented to key volunteers who worked on the project<ref>SVR News 220</ref>.
==Machine Shop ==
[[File:S0609 Bridgnorth Yard 1973.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Bridgnorth Goods Shed c. 1973]]
The Loco Works’ Works' machine shop is located in the former '''Bridgnorth Goods Shed ''' adjacent to the loco shed. The brick-built shed can be seen in this 1973 view; the corrugated shed which stood in front of it and is visible in the 1972 view above was in course of demolition at the time.
The machine shop includes a Noble and Lund wheel lathe, acquired from BR’s Derby Loco Works in 1972.
==Boiler shop==
[[File:Bridgnorth_Boiler_Shop_20150614.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Bridgnorth Boiler Shop]]
Bridgnorth boiler shop The '''George William Knight Boiler Repair Shop''' is situated to the rear of the machine shop and loco shed.
===Construction===
Before the boiler shop was built, riveting of boilers was done outdoors. Following complaints by neighbours, Bridgnorth District Council unexpectedly served a noise abatement order on the Railway on 25 March 1986 ordering it to stop riveting boilers in the open air.<ref>SVR News 80</ref> The Railway lodged an appeal, and a Crown Court hearing on 11 July overturned the injunction. At the same time the SVR applied for, and in November 1986 was granted, a two-year [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1980-1989#1989|temporary planning permission]] allowing day-time open air working.<ref>SVR News 81</ref> The SVR launched a [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC#Share_offers|share offer]] in 1988 to raise £500,000 for construction of the new boiler shop, the largest capital project since the first phases of Kidderminster Town station. Reasons for the high cost included soundproofing using brick and breeze block walls and special doors and windows, and pile driven foundations to take the weight of a substantial 30-ton overhead crane.<ref>SVR News 88</ref>
October 1988 saw "''…an orgy of boiler smithing''" as the boilers from 5764, 4566, 42968 and 7802 were all completed and the site then cleared. The contract for construction was let, with work commencing on 21 November 1988 and a target completion date of April 1989. The main contractors were Hickmans of Wolverhampton; the principal sub-contractors were [[David Owen|Rubery Owen Steelwork]] for the frame of the building / crane rails and Davy Morris of Loughborough for the overhead gantry crane.<ref>SVR News 90, 91</ref> Some delays were incurred in construction, but the building was sufficiently complete by the August bank holiday for it to be used as a temporary paint shop for varnishing [[BR 16267 Composite Corridor|BR 16267]]. Boiler work in the shop commenced later in 1989,.<ref>SVR News 94</ref> with the  The official opening ceremony being was performed by HRH The Duke of Gloucester on [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999#1990 | 29 October 1990]]. It was named after George Knight, former deputy chief boiler inspector of British Railways London Midland Region based in Derby, who regularly gave up his time to train the Railway's earliest paid staff. Sadly, he died before the boiler shop was completed.
In 2012 [[Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services]] took delivery of a CNC lathe to help with mass production of stays in the workshops, for SVR and contract use.
*0-4-0 Back/Well Tank No. 2 'Dolgoch' from the Talyllyn Railway (no. 63/1866 by Fletcher, Jennings & Co). Severn Valley Railway Engineering at Bridgnorth announced in 2010 that they had been awarded the contract for the new boiler of traditional rivetted construction with a copper inner firebox. This boiler was SVR No. 1
*In 2016 a new boiler was completed for ''Samson'', a replica for Beamish of a Stephen Lewin-built 0-4-0T originally constructed in 1874 at Lewin’s Poole Foundry.<ref>[http://www.rail.co.uk/rail-news/2016/new-narrow-gauge-steam-rivalry/ rail.co.uk, 20 May 2016] (Retrieved 13 April 2019)</ref><ref>[http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/2015/11/samson-boiler-construction-completed/ Beamish Transport Online, 20 November 2015] (Retrieved 13 April 2019)</ref>
*In 2018 Engineering Services was awarded a contract to build five new boilers for the Isle of Man Railway. Two The first two were delivered in 2020 and {{As of|2020|12|lc=y}} the construction of fourth and components for the third and fourth was ongoingfifth in 2023, completing that order.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bldec20 Branch Lines, December 2020]</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blmay21 Branch Lines, May 2021]</ref>
*[[BR 3MT 82045]] - the SVR is assembling the boiler of the new locomotive of the Riddles BR 3MT 2‑6‑2T class
===Contract boiler overhauls===
Engineering Services also undertake contract overhauls for boilers of locomotives not resident on the SVR. An incomplete list includes:
*Quarry Hunslet 779/1902 ‘Holy War’, ex-Dinorwic Slate Quarry, from the Bala Lake Railway.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bldec20 Branch Lines, December 2020] (Retrieved 12 December 2020)</ref>*Quarry Hunslet 780/1902 ‘Alice’. Bala Lake Railway based locomotive received modifications with 3 washout mud doors, 2 re-located and tapped washout plug holes and 6 blanked off existing washout plug holes.<refname="WRUAug2011">Express Points web round up, August 2011</ref>*Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT (works number 1995 of 1931) (2011). Ex-Burnhope Reservoir railway, later at Dinorwic Quarry where it became No. 70 ''Caledonia''. Based at Hollycombe Steam Collection.See also 2021 entry below.<ref name="WRUAug2011"/>
*Furness Railway 150 'Cumbria' - Hunslet Austerity works no 3794, arrived at Bridgnorth Boilershop on 1 August 2011.
*Hawthorn Leslie 2859 (Tanfield Railway No. 2) delivered at Tanfield on 6 August 2012.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX9iKxmaCJ4&feature=player_embedded Delivery of repaired boiler for Hawthorn Leslie 2859 (Tanfield Railway No. 2), YouTube 6 August 2012] (Retrieved 21 February 2013)</ref>
*No. 441 - Thomas Green Works ‘Barber’ 2ft Gauge 0-6-2ST, completed in 2013. The firebox was made by South Devon Railway
*Welshpool & Llanfair No. 10 ''Sir Drefaldwyn'' 20 December 2013 to 21 May 2015.<ref>SVR Engineering Twitter</ref>*Isle of Man Railway IOMR locomotive No. 11 ''Maitland'' arrived in 2014, returning 15 January 2016.<ref>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3043 SVR Forum 15 January 2014]</ref>
*Coffee Pot No. 1's boiler was sent to Bridgnorth for re-tubing in 2016.<ref>[http://beamishtransportonline.co.uk/2016/09/ti-news-week-34-2016/ Beamish Transport Online, 22 September 2016] (Retrieved 2 August 2019)</ref>
*Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41241, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Completed December 2017.<ref>[https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/3174/ivatt-boilers-steam-tested-in-readiness-for-worth-valley-50/ Steam Railway Magazine, 3 December 2017] (Retrieved 13 April 2019)</ref>
*Isle of Man Railway IOMR locomotive No. 15 ''Caledonia'' in 2018 and No. 4 ''Loch'' started that year.<ref>[http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=38197&headline=Five%20new%20boilers%20for%20locos%20-%20but%20what%27s%20the%20price%3F&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2018 Isle of Man Today, 24 January 2018] (Retrieved 13 April 2019)</ref>*Penrhyn Slate Quarry No. 'Glyder' 0-4-0WT.<ref>SVR News 208</ref>*Quarry Hunslet 779/1902 ‘Holy War’, ex-Dinorwic Slate Quarry, No. 3 from the Bala Lake Railway.<ref>Branch Lines December 2020</ref><ref name="SVR213">SVR213</ref>*Hollycombe Steam Museum Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT No 1995 'Caledonia' (2021)<ref name=SVR213/>*IOMR locomotive No. 12 'Hutchinson' had frame stretcher attention in the boilershop, and side tanks in the paintshop. The constituent parts and NB3 boiler returned to the Isle of Man in October 2023. *The boiler of IOMR No. 16 'Mannin'.
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D2961_20150320.jpg | D2961 outside Bridgnorth boiler shop in March 2015
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==Other information==
In autumn 1990 the "Wash & Brush Up LNER Style" [[:Category:SVR fundraising lotteries|SVRA raffle]] raised money for new amenities for the Works<ref>SVR News 97</ref>.
==See also==
*[[Bridgnorth]]
*[[Bridgnorth MPD]]
*[[Rolling stock currently under restoration]]
*[[Steam Locomotives and diesel locomotives visiting the SVR for contract overhauls]]
*[[:Category:Locomotives_at_Bridgnorth | List of Locomotives at Bridgnorth]]
*[[Diesel Depot]]
<references />
==Links==*[https://www.svrtrust.org.uk/home-and-dry Charitable Trust 'Home & Dry Appeal' page] [[Category:SVR fundraising lotteries]] [[Category:Featured articles]]
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