Changes

'''God's Wonderful Railway''' was a BBC children's drama series of 8 episodes, first broadcast in 1980. Written by Avril Rowlands, it was set specifically on the Severn Valley Railway and filmed almost entirely on location on the railway during 1979.<ref>SVR News 51, article by Avril Rowlands</ref> Rowlands was already associated with the SVR, having met her husband Christopher during filming of [[Carrie's War]] in November 1973.<ref>Jordan, P., 'My Moment of Glory', SVR News, No. 203</ref>. Christopher Rowlands was also credited as the film editor for God's Wonderful Railway.

'The Permanent Way' included at least one small anachronism; the [[Arley ]] distant signal is briefly visible on the approach to Victoria Bridge. Such signals were not installed until later in the nineteenth century.

 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. [[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.

*4566 with a freight train passing through Highley, with [[GWR 813 Saddle Tank|813]] in the yard.

*4566 dates from 1924. It also portrays classmate 4506 which was one of the first batch of 45xx 4500 Class locomotives built in 1906, although small prairies did not appear on the Severn Valley Branch until around the 1920s. *[[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).

In the final story (three episodes), set in 1939, George is Station Master at [[Arley]]; his son Andy has to deal with an evacuee from Birmingham billeted with the family, and becomes suspicious that a spy is trying to destroy [[Borle Viaduct]].

*[[7819|7819 Hinton Manor]] with a 3-coach train leaving Arley southbound, also filmed from the lineside and continuing with a scene filmed on the footplate.

*A scene in Bridgnorth yard where Andy helps Ted Jarvis cleaning 7819. 5764 and [[6960|6960 Raveningham Hall]] are also seen in the yard.

*7819 Hinton Manor crossing [[Oldbury Viaduct ]] with a passenger service

*The same train is seen at various locations (not in geographical sequence) including passing [[Level crossing at Crossing Cottage|Crossing Cottage]], descending [[Eardington Bank]], passing [[Waterworks Crossing]], arriving at Arley, crossing Victoria Bridge and passing [[Hampton Loade ]] before Andy manages to halt the train as it approaches Borle Viaduct. The train then passes through Arley again as the episode ends.

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>.