SVR Wolverhampton Branch
The SVR Wolverhampton Branch was formed in 1967 and provides support to the SVR through its activities, in particular the marketing of the railway at shows and exhibitions. As with other branches it was part of The Severn Valley Railway Association, which was merged into the Guarantee Company in October 2015.[1]
It owns several thousand shares in SVR(H).
Contents
Branch meetings
The branch holds public meetings open to all, usually second Monday of the month from September to May. Subjects cover local transport history and railway subjects from Britain and abroad. In addition, it organises trips and outings of railway and non-railway interest.
During the 2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic it cancelled meetings "as most of our regular attendees (Committee included) fall into the most "at risk" age-group demographic", which was over 70.
Rolling stock
- The Branch was the major shareholder in the Hinton Manor Fund, the first owner of 7819 Hinton Manor in preservation.[2] During Member's Day 2004 at Kidderminster the Branch, on behalf of the Fund, handed over custody of 7819 to The SVR Charitable Trust (then called the SVR Rolling Stock Trust) in exchange for a token payment of £1.[3]
- The Branch owned former Gangwayed Brake BR 80776 which was converted for the conveyance of disabled passengers, for which it won the Association of Railway Preservation Societies' “Coach of the Year” award in 1995. In 2016 it was sold to the Charitable Trust for safekeeping and further conversion to a "Wheelchair Diner" providing much needed access to the SVR's Dining Services.
- It is also co-owner with the Charitable Trust of Tourist Standard Open BR 4690 which has been similarly converted.
Fundraising
SVRA Raffles
The branch organised a number of SVRA raffles on behalf of the SVRA.
Models
- It commissioned a finescale limited edition of only 100 working models of 7819 Hinton Manor with a Bachmann body, Comet loco chassis, Mainly Trains tender chassis and Markits detailing accessories.
- During 2007, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Branch, it commissioned from Dapol a limited edition 12 ton vent LMS van with a white body.
- In 2010 it arranged the production of a OO scale model by Bachmann of a BR(W) 20 ton Toad brake van.
Publication and print
- In 2010 it published 'Wolverhampton's Railways in Colour' written by Simon Dewey, a full colour album of photographs of Wolverhampton railway scenes, locations and locomotives.
- In 2018 the Branch published a companion volume, titled 'Wolverhampton’s Railways Revisited'. The book, again in hardback and written by Dewey, follows a similar format to the earlier book but has been increased to 88 pages with over 100 photographs, again in full colour and each accompanied by an informative caption.[4]
- It produced a limited edition of 500 prints of the watercolour “In Cambrian Country” portraying 7819 Hinton Manor on Talerdigg bank circa 1960, by Frederick Lea GRA.