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[[File:7325_20190629.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Association owns [[GWR Mogul 's locomotive 9303 (7325) at Kidderminster, June 2019]] The '''Great Western (which they normally refer SVR) Association''' is a registered charity (No 1078718). It exists primarily to by its earlier number 9303) preserve and 21 restore items of rolling stock for service on the SVR, in particular GWR carriages. Previously completed projects include [[GWR 9103 Nondescript Saloon]]from the 1920s to 1940s.

Current restoration projects include ==History==The Association began in 1968 as the 'Great Western Rolling Stock Fund' (also referred to as the 'GWR Coach Fund'), and quickly began to accumulate pre-nationalisation carriages which were being withdrawn from service by BR at the time.<ref name=GWSVRA>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/background.html GW(SVR)A website ‘Background’] (retrieved 8 February 2019)</ref> In 1972 a separate group, the ‘Great Western Locomotive and Carriage Society’, was formed with the intention of saving a locomotive, [[CarriagesGWR Mogul 7325 |Art Deco Brake 3rd 650Collett Mogul 9303/7325]], nearing completion, and from [[Carriages|Bow End Composite 6045Barry Scrapyard]].<ref>SVR News 25</ref> The two groups shared common aims and members, and in 1973 merged to form the Great Western (SVR) Association,<ref name=SVR128>SVR News 128, recently commenced“The Great Western (SVR) Association celebrates 25 years”</ref> the somewhat convoluted title being chosen to avoid any confusion with the Didcot-based Great Western Society.<ref>SVR News 157</ref> The first Annual General Meeting of the new Association was held on 18 May 1974.<ref>SVR News 34</ref> The Association’s 25th Anniversary was noted in SVR News in 1998.<ref name=SVR128/> The Constitution which governs the Association’s status as a registered charity was adopted on 24 October 1998.<ref>Charities Commission website</ref>

==Membership and fund raising==The Association is a membership body, by payment of a subscription. An illustrated members' Newsletter is nominally published twice yearly.<ref>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/how_to_help.html GW(SVR)A website ‘How to help’] (retrieved 8 February 2017)</ref> The Association operates a [[The Great Western (SVR) Association Shop|shop]] at [[Bewdley]] selling books and other railwayana. This is located in [[GWR 1145 Toplight 'Snake C' Passenger Brake]] adjacent to the car park.  In 2019, for the Association’s 50th year, it launched a fund to return [[7325|Mogul 7325]] to the Collett GWR condition of 9303.  The Association is a minor shareholder of [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC]].<ref>[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01046274/filing-history Full list of shareholders at 24 June 2016]</ref> ==Rolling stock=====Acquisitions and disposals===The Mogul was purchased in 1974 and moved to the SVR in 1975; it is still owned by the Association. Acquisition of further redundant ex Departmental Stock continued in the 1970s. By mid-1998 the Association owned 14 carriages and ‘brown vehicles’.<ref>SVR Stock Book Ninth Edition</ref> Since that time:*[[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR|Collett bow-ended Corridor Third 4546]] which had been used as a dormitory coach left circa 1999.*A further 5 carriages in private ownership on the SVR were taken over by the Association.*[[GWR 2426 Toplight Full Third|2426]] was acquired from [[SVR(H)]].*[[GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car|5043 (now 9581)]] was acquired from [[The 2857 Society]] in 2014*In 2017 the Association agreed to transfer 5043 to [[SVR(H)]] in exchange for [[GWR 4786 Full Third]].*In 2019 the Association acquired [[GWR 2242 Corridor Brake Third]]. {{As of|2020}} the Association owns 20 [[Carriages | carriages]] (three of which are owned by Association members), one [[GWR 1257 Siphon G Bogie Milk Van| Siphon G Milk Van]], and a [[GWR 107291 Macaw B Bogie Bolster| Macaw B Bogie Bolster]].<ref>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/stock_list.html Stock list on the GW(SVR)A web site (retrieved January 2020)]</ref>. A full list of SVR-based rolling stock owned by the Association may be found [[:Category:Rolling stock owned by the Great Western (SVR) Association | here]]. ===Restorations===The Association's restoration of [[GWR 9103 Nondescript Saloon | GWR 9103 Nondescript Saloon]] was the overall Winner in the Heritage Railway Association's Carriage and Wagon Competition for 2015.<ref>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/news.html GW(SVR)A website] (retrieved 6 January 2017)</ref> The most recently completed restoration projects are [[GWR 650 Brake Third Open (Excursion)|Art Deco Brake 3rd 650]], which entered service in November 2015 and [[GWR 6045 Bow-end Composite|Bow-end Composite 6045]] whose restoration was completed in April 2020. Only 3 of the carriages have yet to be returned to working order.<ref>GW(SVR)A booklet (since publication 6045 has been completed and 2242 acquired)</ref> {{As of|2020}} work on 4786 is in progress at Bewdley<ref>GWR(SVRA) Newsletter published Jan 2019</ref> and on 2242 at Kidderminster. 2426 was moved to Bewdley in 2019 where it is being used as a workshop although work has started on restoring the ends. == See also ==*[[List of preservation groups]]*[[:Category:Rolling stock owned by the Great Western (SVR) Association | List of rolling stock owned by the Great Western (SVR) Association]] ==References==<references />

 *[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/ Great Western (SVR) Assoc. web site]*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/1802133566694120/ The GW(SVR)A on Facebook]