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→At the SVR: Appointment
==At the SVR==
Michael Draper was appointed to the Board of SVR(H) as Finance Director on 1 January 1983 under the Chairmanship of [[Sir Gerald Nabarro]].<ref>SVR News 26, 31</ref> He also became a Director of the [[Guarantee Company]]. While Finance Director, he published several articles in [[Severn Valley Railway News|SVR News]] on Finance and Commercial activities.<ref>SVR News 35, 36, 37</ref>
He became Acting General Manager following the resignation of Hugh Mossop in January 1976,<ref>SVR News 38</ref> initially on a part-time basis for the rest of that year pending appointment of a new permanent General Manager.<ref>SVR News 39</ref> He began the now familiar quarterly "General Manager's Notes" in SVR News in summer of that year<ref>SVR News 40</ref> and was duly appointed permanent General Manager in 1977.<ref>SVR News 43</ref>
During his period of office the SVR established itself as the self-proclaimed ‘Premier Steam Railway’. [[SVR Passenger numbers]] grew from 113,000 to 194,000, with the extension of the line from [[Bewdley]] to Kidderminster, with two successful [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC##Share_offers|share offers]] funding [[Kidderminster|Kidderminster Town station]] and [[Bridgnorth Loco Works#Boiler_shop|Bridgnorth Boiler Shop]]. Mr Draper travelled widely, speaking at meetings round the country, and was often featured in local Press and Railway magazines.
