Goods traffic on the SVR

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During its 101 year history the Severn Valley branch was never financially successful. GWR Traffic statistics for stations on the branch show that between 1903 and 1923, passengers only accounted for around 20% of the total revenue, with around 80% of the revenue arising from freight traffic. After that time passenger numbers declined, and by 1938 revenue from passenger traffic accounted for little more than 10% of the total, with freight traffic nearing 90%.

Freight traffic therefore played a major role in the history of the branch. It included coal traffic from the Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway, goods traffic to and from the industries of the Ironbridge Gorge, and other goods traffic, mainly agricultural. This article is an attempt to piece together information on the quantity and variety of goods carried on the SVRSevern Valley Railway during that time.

Colliery traffic

There were Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway with sidings at Highley (1880s-1939), Kinlet and Billingsley (1895-1937), and Alveley (1939-1969).

After the Stourport station canal basin and interchange sidings opened in the 1880s, coal was moved by rail from Highley to the canal basin and from there to the nearby ironworks at Wilden and Stourvale via the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal.

A branch line from Stourport Station to the power station opened in 1940; thereafter coal could be brought in by rail. During the 1950s a daily morning train would work empty from Stourport Power Station to Alveley Sidings and return fully loaded, with another round trip in the afternoon. The normal motive power at the time was GWRGreat Western Railway 6382 or another ex-GWRGreat Western Railway 43xx MogulLocomotive with a 2-6-0 wheel configuration.

Daily goods train

A daily goods train would work in each direction on the Severn Valley branch. Tony Barfield, a fireman at Kidderminster in the mid-1950s, described the northbound operation thus:

The Salop Goods was a daily through goods train from Hartlebury to Shrewsbury, calling at the stations and goods yards along the branch, picking up and putting off odd wagons, re-arranging coal wagons and cattle trucks at small yards such as Arley or Hampton Loade, sometimes doing considerable shunting at Bewdley or Bridgnorth. Loads would vary from day to day. A hard struggle to Bridgnorth with a mixed train of coal, cattle trucks, pit props, fruit vans, might be compensated by a non-stop run back with perhaps only half a dozen empties. The Salop Goods was usually worked by tender locomotives except at boiler washouts or repairs when a 41xx class 2-6-2 deputised. Moguls such as 6382, 5355, 6314, 6388 all worked at times but generally the train was worked by CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 0-6-0 no 2207.

The BR(W) 1948 working timetable gives an example of this working, which began with a 9.30am departure from Hartlebury and ended at Shrewsbury Coton Hill yard at 6.58pm. The stop at Cressage has a note in the timetable 'To deal with Cattle traffic and perform S.T. work only', the S.T. referring to the Station Truck forming part of the train.

Examples of references to goods traffic

November 10 1888, 6:30pm goods train from Tenbury due at Bewdley at 8:32 consisted of 25 loaded and three empty wagons plus a brake van with two guards.

"The timber obtained from [the Wyre Forest] is used for the most part in collieries in South Staffordshire".

Seven trucks of long oak timber from Bewdley to Griff Colliery, Nuneaton, August 22 1899.

A luggage train "of considerable length" carrying sacks of bran, iron fencing and copper sheets through Tenbury on its way to Bewdley in 1864.

Sixty truck loads of cattle and sheep from Kidderminster market in 1903

An average of 2000 homing pigeons a day during one week in 1901 being sent to Kidderminster.

"The general waiting room [at Bewdley in 1901] was usually crowded with luggage and parcels..."

See also

• Businesses located at SVR stations
• Private sidings connected to the Severn Valley Railway
• Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway
• Station Truck

Notes

References

Links