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Services are a volunteer lead project under a Santa committee, headed by Dianne Malyon. It is almost a twelve-month project: presents are ordered in March, and bands and choirs by May.<ref>SVR News 171, 203</ref>
==Early years==
The first visit by Santa was in 1968. Tony Bending recalls it was a staged affair organised by Dillons store in Bridgnorth High Street who wanted a novel way for Santa to arrive. [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|46443]] drew a single coach out to [[Cleobury Road Bridge]] before the event and later on, at the appropriate time, rolled it back in. Having arrived at [[Bridgnorth]] by train Santa then travelled by horse and cart, before spending the day seeing children in the High Street shop.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/svr50years.aspx '50 Years of Steam at the Severn Valley Railway', SVR website] (Retrieved 22 May 2020)</ref> The exhibition '50 Years of Steam at the Severn Valley Railway' records the event on 24 November 1968, [[David Williams ]] records 46443 operating on 21 December 1968.<ref>Tony Bending, David Williams by email</ref>
The South Devon Railway relates that [[Kitson & Co 5474 'Carnarvon']] carried Santa in 1969.<ref>[http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Caernarfon.html South Devon Railway website]</ref> This was a similar event, there is picture by David Williams held on 20 December 1969; a photograph by C.R. Jenkins of Carnarvon shunting at Bridgnorth on that morning appears in David Williams' book ''Severn Valley Railway Album''.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Williams (1974)]] p. 23.</ref>
There is no record of either event in SVR News or ''Severn Valley Railway Memories''.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Magner (1997)]].</ref> Since As the public did not use the [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1970|Light Railway Order]] was only granted in 1970to meet Santa at his grotto at one of the SVR stations, they are neither event can be considered a static event and so not classed as a 'Santa service'. ==SVR Santa services==
On 23 and 24 December 1973 'Santa Claus' specials ran with three coaches between Bridgnorth and [[Hampton Loade]], hauled by [[WD 193 Shropshire|'Austerity' 0-6-0ST WD 193]]. The weekend marked the SVR's first [[Christmas services | Santa services]].<ref>SVR News 29,32</ref>
Although the SVR extended to Bewdley during 1974, there was no run round loop at Arley at the time. Accordingly the 1974 Santa services were again held between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. The loop at Arley was commissioned in May 1975 and from that year on it became the norm for Santa services to run between the southern terminus (Bewdley and later Kidderminster) and a [[Santa's Grotto|grotto at Arley]]. In 1979 services reverted to the north end of the line due to the winter closure of [[Victoria Bridge]] for repairs. On 20 December 1982 Santa arrived at Bewdley by helicopter, before travelling to [[Santa's Grotto|his grotto at Arley]] by train.<ref>SVR News 67</ref>
On 8 December 1990 the worst snowstorm for a decade affected the weekend's Santa services; only a small proportion of the 9,000 ticket holders were able to attend.<ref>SVR News 98</ref>
On 10 December 2017 all Santa Special services were cancelled in light of heavy snow overnight and complete loss of power at Arley Station.
==Recent operation to 2018==
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==Hired in locomotives==
The SVR normally operates services using a [[Steam Locomotives | working fleet]] drawn from its own steam locomotives. On several occasions it has been necessary to [[Steam Locomotives hired by the SVR|hire in locomotives from other railways]] to alleviate pressure on the fleet over the busy Christmas period.
==See also==
