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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4566_Royal _TrainGods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4566_Royal_Train.jpg|The Royal Train arriving at HighleyLongmoor_3005.jpg|Ex-LNWR 6-wheel saloon
→The Permanent Way: add image
The first story (two episodes) is set during the construction of the line, and its main character is Robbie Grant, a boy who has been brought to the valley because his father is working on the railway as a [[Railway Navvies of the SVR|navvy]]. Although the Grant family was fictional, the story included characters such as [[John Fowler | Sir John <noglossary>Fowler</noglossary>]] and [[Henry Orlando Bridgeman]] who were involved in the building of the real Severn Valley Railway, while the plot line in which Robbie is severely injured by a fall of rock is notably similar to several actual [[Railway Navvies of the SVR|accidents which took place during construction]].
The Didcot Great Western SocietyDidcot's veteran Wantage Tramway locomotive No 5 "Shannon" was used for filming, being either propelled or hauled into shot as it was not in steam at the time. Its first appearance was as a contractors' locomotive while the line was being built, conveying Sir John <noglossary>Fowler </noglossary> and Henry Orlando Bridgman on the footplate to inspect the works.
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_Shannon1.jpg|Shanon Shannon as the contractors' locomotive
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Shannon's second appearance was as the locomotive in charge of the opening train, where it seen crossing [[Victoria Bridge]] southbound both from the bank of the [[River Severn]] and from track level. Victoria Bridge had also featured in a scene shortly before the opening of the railway, although the many scenes involving the navvies digging a deep cutting were filmed elsewhere.
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_Navvies.jpg|Navvies constructing a cuttingGods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_Shannon2.jpg|Shanon Shannon crossing Victoria Bridge (1)Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_Shannon3.jpg|Shanon Shannon crossing Victoria Bridge (2)
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===Clear Ahead===
The second story (three episodes) is set in 1906 , during the Edwardian era, when the now-elderly Robbie is the signalman at [[Highley]], and his grandson George is about to start work as a porter at the station. Most of the action in 'The Permanent Way' was filmed around Highley station. [[GWR Small Prairie 4566]] served as a locomotive of that era, having been repainted with 'Great Western' on the tank sides for filming.<ref>SVR News 52</ref> The locomotive appeared both with its own number and as classmate 4506. The "GWR carriages" seen were three [[Ex-Longmoor Saloons]] which were on loan to the SVR from the Army Trust, having previously being in service at the Longmoor Military Railway. All three were repainted in GWR colours for filming purposes with permission of the Army Trust. The carriages were:<ref>SVR Stock Book Seventh Edition</ref>
*Family Saloon, Army 3006 (originally SECR 177 and later SR 7913) built at Ashford in 1907
*Family Saloon, Army 3007 (originally LSWR 11 and later SR 7803) built at Eastleigh in 1910 (both used in the passenger trains)
Part 1:
*4566 with a freight goods train passing through Highley, with [[GWR 813 Saddle Tank|813]] in the yard.
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4566_passing_813.jpg|4566 leaving Highley, passing 813
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4566_mixed.jpg|4566 arriving with a 'mixed' train
Longmoor_3006.jpg|A "GWR carriage", originally an SE&CR Family Saloon
Longmoor_3007.jpg|A "GWR carriage", originally an LSWR Family Saloon
</gallery>
*4566 arriving at Highley with two carriages.
Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4506_and_813.jpg| George Grant and Ted Jarvis with '4506' and 813
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*'4506' arriving at Highley with a freight goods train.
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4506_freight.jpg| '4506' with a freightgoods
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*A closing shot of 4566 passing through Highley non-stop with the 'mixed'.
Part 2:
*4566 arriving at Highley with a freight goods train, filmed from inside the signal box.
*4566 arriving at Highley southbound with a passenger train.
*4566 leaving Highley with a passenger train.
*4566 leaving Highley with a passenger train.
*4566 leaving Highley southbound with a freight goods train.
Part 3:
*A distant shot of the 'Royal Train' (4566 with the 6-wheel LNWR Directors' Saloon) crossing [[Victoria Bridge]].
*The 'Royal Train' approaching Arley filmed from the [[Arley Station Bridge|road bridge]].
*The 'Royal Train' arriving at Highley.
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*The 'Royal Train' leaving Highley.
*[[GWR 104621 Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van|Mink A 104621]] also dates from 1924, although the 'Iron Minks' began to be replaced by wooden bodied examples in the early 1900s.
*The departure finger post shows "Arley, N'Wood, [[Bewdley]], [[Foley Park Halt|Foley Park]]"; [[Northwood Halt]] did not open until 1935 (also no service would ever have terminated at Foley Park).
*The [[Single line working using tokens|key token instruments]] in the signal box were not introduced by the GWR until 1914 and not on the Severn Valley Branch until after the Second World War. "Electric Staff" equipment was still in use in 1906.
===Fire on the Line===
Part 1:
*A distant shot of a [[5764|GWR pannier 5764]] with three carriages crossing Victoria Bridge northbound, continuing into a scene with Andy and Ted Jarvis (now a driver) filmed on the footplate.
*5764 arriving drawing into Platform 2 at Arley where Andy leaves the footplate
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_5764.jpg|5764 arriving at Arley
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*4566 with a freight goods train at Arley where Andy joins the footplate and the locomotive leaves, the action continues on the footplate ending with a shot of the train between stations.
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Gods_Wonderful_Railway_Screenshot_4566_freight_Arley.jpg|4566 at Arley
</gallery>
Part 2:
*A scene in [[Bridgnorth MPD|Bridgnorth yard ]] where Andy helps Ted Jarvis cleaning 7819. 5764 and [[6960|6960 Raveningham Hall]] are also seen in the yard.*Hinton Manor leaving [[Bridgnorth ]] with a passenger train.
*A night shot of Hinton Manor arriving at Arley with an engineering train (following a bombing attack on Victoria Bridge)
Andy was also filmed at other locations on the Railway including [[Hay Bridge]] and [[Daniel's Mill]]
===Second Series===
A second series, consisting of a further two stories in five episodes, was scheduled for production in the spring of 1981. The scripts were completed in the summer of 1980 and were to have featured Highley, Hampton Loade and [[Bridgnorth]] in particular, together with many of the SVR's engines. The fourth story was set during the closure of the line with Andy, now an engine driver, driving the last train. The final story was set at the start of the SVR's preservation era. The scripts were accepted by the executive producer, however financial difficulties at the BBC led to a late decision to the second series being 'axed'<ref>SVR News 57, letter from Avril Rowlands</ref>.
==Novelisations==
