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Shortly after BR closed the Bewdley-Kidderminster line in 1970, the SVR acquired the section of the line between Alveley Colliery and Foley Park. Passenger services between Bridgnorth and Bewdley began in 1974, but the only onward traffic from Bewdley through Foley Park to Kidderminster was main line excursions and rolling stock movements under BR control.
In March 1977 Major Olver of the Railway Inspectorate approved the section between Bewdley and Foley Park for SVR passenger use (this normally took place only during galas, as services had to be ‘top and tailed’ due to the absence of a run round loop at Foley Park). To control access between BR and the SVR, two sets of points were moved from [[Alveley Sidings]] to Foley Park in early 1977 and installed on the single line adjacent to the sidings to act as trap points, one in each direction.<ref>SVR News 44</ref>. Two two-lever ground frames were also installedat 136m 10ch; each controlled a single trap point and associated FPL, with an SVR GF controlling traps in one direction, and a BR GF controlling traps in the other. The ground frames can be seen in this photograph: [http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/77903-ground-shunting-signals-help-request-please/?p=1205923 Link].
==Foley Park (2020)==
[[File:Foley_Park_Ground_Frame_20210630.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The ex-Kidderminster ground frame at Foley Park, June 2021]]
Over the winter of 2019/2020, during track relaying, the SVR took the opportunity to install the refurbished ex-[[Kidderminster ground frame ]] at [[Foley Park]], in preparation for possible future uses of the site. These include a possible future station serving the [[Safari Park]] and developments on the former sugar works site, and the proposed [[Wagon Review Group|Wagon shed]].
The installation of the ground frame was described in the S&T Department's [http://www.svrsig.org.uk/svr/Iss209.htm S & T Notes - issue 209]. The procedure for operation of the ground frame was described thus:
:''The new ground frame at Foley Park Sidings will allow access to the new sidings either out of hours or with the boxes open. For a train to leave the sidings, the Shunter will ring [[Kidderminster Station signal box (1987 onwards)|Kidderminster box]] and ask for a ground frame release. The Kidderminster signalman will send an appropriate bell code to [[Bewdley South signal box|Bewdley South]] who will reverse his [[Acceptance Lever]]. This will provide a release for either the section signal (as now) or the key control instrument. The latter will release an Annett's key at the ground frame to unlock it. Once the ground frame is locked up again, either with the train on the main line ready to depart or locked inside the sidings with the single line section clear, and the Shunter has been advised that all is in order, the Kidderminster signalman will send an appropriate bell signal to Bewdley South either cancelling the train (once it is either locked inside or has arrived at Kidderminster) or intimating it is about to leave for Bewdley. An Up or Down train stopping in section at the sidings would be signalled normally but the Shunter would telephone the Kidderminster signalman on arrival once the train was at a stand clear of the siding points for a ground frame release and then proceed as above''.<ref>[http://www.svrsig.org.uk/svr/Iss209.htm SVRSig Website: S & T Notes - issue 209]</ref> How the signal box diagram will look once the ground frame has been installed<ref>[http://www.svrsig.org.uk/svr/Iss210.htm SVRSig Website: S & T Notes - issue 210]</ref>.: [[File:Kidderminster signal box diagram 2020 including Foley Park Ground Frame.jpg]]
==See also==
* A photograph showing a special train proceeding past the BR/SVR ground frames, C E Steele, 1979. Photograph uploaded to the RMweb forums. [http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/77903-ground-shunting-signals-help-request-please/?p=1205923 Link]. Accessed 09/01/2015.
* Great Western Railway Service Time Tables, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Hereford and Newport, 6 July 6th-27 September 27th 1936. A scanned version of this document available on the website of Michael Clemens - see [http://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk/article/working-timetables/553 Link].
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==Links==
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annett%27s_key Annett's Key on Wikipedia]