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[[File:7325_20190629.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Association's locomotive 9303 (7325) at Kidderminster, June 2019]]The '''Great Western (SVR) Association ''' is a registered charity (No 1078718). It exists primarily to preserve and restore items of rolling stock for service on the SVR, in particular GWR carriages from the 1920s to 1940s.

==History==In summer 1968 the opportunity arose to acquire seven redundant coaches from Didcot, including two GWR Hawksworth Full Thirds and five LMS coaches. The Association began [[Severn Valley Railway Society]] was still in 1967 as the ‘Great Western Rolling Stock Fund’process of raising the money to acquire the line itself, so funds to acquire rolling stock needed to come from individuals and quickly began to accumulate pre-nationalisation carriages groups. Members of the C&W Department, which were being withdrawn from service by BR at had just been established in the time. In 1972 a separate groupnewly leased [[Bewdley Goods Shed]], hastily formed the ‘Great Western Locomotive '''Hawksworth Coach Fund''' and Carriage Society’succeeded in acquiring [[GWR 829 Full Third]], was formed with the intention of saving a locomotiveother Hawksworth, [[GWR Mogul 7325 | Collett Mogul 9303/73252119 Full Third]], from Barry scrapyardbeing acquired by an individual member. The two groups shared common aims and members, and in 1973 merged to form the Great Western (<ref name=SVR157>SVR) Association.News 157</ref>

The Mogul Although this first purchase was successful, it was clear that pre-nationalisation stock was purchased in 1974 being withdrawn at an 'alarming rate' and moved that fundraising at short notice was not easy. The Hawksworth Coach Fund members therefore decided to form a more permanent fund, adopting the SVR in 1975; it is still owned by the Association. Acquisition new name of further redundant ex Departmental '''Great Western Rolling Stock Fund''' (also continued in the 1970s. {{referred to as of|2017}} the Association owns 19 [[Carriages | carriages]], one [['GWR 1257 Siphon G Bogie Milk Van| Siphon G Milk Van]], Coach Fund'). At that time there were fewer than ten members and [[GWR 107291 Macaw B Bogie Bolster| Macaw B Bogie Bolster]]only a very informal structure with no officers or meeting minutes. Only 3 The Fund continued to accumulate pre-nationalisation carriages, including part of the carriages have not yet been returned Swindon test train in 1969, the last opportunity to working orderacquire complete GWR passenger coaches in good condition.<ref>GW(SVR)A booklet<name=SVR157/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]].

It is In 1972 a membership bodyseparate group, by payment the '''Great Western Locomotive and Carriage Society''', was formed with the intention of saving a subscriptionlocomotive, [[GWR Mogul 7325 | Collett Mogul 9303/7325]], from [[Barry Scrapyard]]. An illustrated <ref>SVR News 25</ref> The two groups shared common aims and members, and in 1973 merged to form the '''Great Western (SVR) Association''' Newsletter is nominally published twice yearly.,<refname=SVR128>[http:SVR News 128, "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 name=SVR157/www> The first Annual General Meeting of the new Association was held on 18 May 1974.gw-svr-a<ref>SVR News 34</ref> The Association's 25th Anniversary was noted in SVR News in 1998.org.uk<ref name=SVR128/background> The Constitution which governs the Association’s status as a registered charity was adopted on 24 October 1998.html GW(SVR)A <ref>Charities Commission website] (retrieved 6 January 2017)</ref>

Its restoration It ran a special train on 12 May 2019 to celebrate “the 50th Anniversary of [[GWR 9103 Nondescript Saloon | GWR 9103 Nondescript Saloon]] was the overall Winner in Association on the Heritage Railway Association’s Carriage and Wagon Competition for 2015Severn Valley Railway”.<ref>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/news.html GW(SVR)A website] (retrieved 6 Leaflet circulated to members, January 2017)2019</ref>This anniversary relates to the 1968 origins rather than the Association’s formation in 1973.

==Membership and fund raising==The Association’s most recently completed restoration project was Association is a membership body, by payment of a subscription. An illustrated members' Newsletter is nominally published twice yearly.<ref>[[Carriages|Art Deco Brake 3rd 650]http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/how_to_help.html GW(SVR)A website ‘How to help’] which entered service in November 2015. {{As of|(retrieved 8 February 2017|1}} restoration of [[Carriages|Bow End Composite 6045]] is in progress.)</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|2022}} the Association owns 21 [[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]]. ===Most recent 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> *[[GWR 650 Brake Third Open (Excursion)|Art Deco Brake 3rd 650]] entered service in November 2015*[[GWR 6045 Bow-end Composite|Bow-end Composite 6045]] whose restoration was completed in April 2020. ===Yet to be returned to working order=== Only three 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|2023}} work on 2426 and 4786 is in progress at [[Bewdley Down Yard]], while repairs to Hawksworth Brake Third 2242 have been paused waiting the work on the roof and space in Bewdley Yard for work to continue on the interior<ref>[http://www.gw-svr-a.org.uk/news.html GWR(SVRA) October 2022 news update] (Retrieved 14 October 2022)</ref>. == See Also 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]]

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