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'''July 1965'''
[[File: The Coopers Arms, Canterbury Road, Kidderminster - geograph.org.uk - 1113269.jpg |thumb|300px|right| The Cooper's Coopers Arms (Geograph)]]:The formation of the Severn Valley Railway in preservation officially began on 6 July 1965. The public meeting proposed by Keith Beddoes took place at the Cooper’s Coopers Arms in Kidderminster, attended by around 50 people.
::Three possible locations were considered for the potential preserved railway, and the meeting spent some time discussing the merits of these. It was not considered feasible to use a section of the [[Wyre Forest Line | Tenbury Branch]] between [[Bewdley]] and [[Wyre Forest Line#Cleobury Mortimer | Cleobury Mortimer]] as BR were still using Bewdley station at that time and could not grant access. The [[Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway]] was also deemed unsuitable because of its remoteness and the relatively light axle load limits of the light railway. The Severn Valley Railway between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade was therefore chosen.
::Those present agreed to form the [[Severn Valley Railway Society]] (“the Society”). A committee of 8 was appointed, and the initial membership subscription was proposed as £1, but eventually set at 1 guinea (£1+1shilling) at the suggestion of [[John Garth]], in order to increase funds.<ref name = SVR191>SVR News 191, “Fifty Years Ago" (Christopher George)</ref>
:On Sunday 11 July the Society inspected the track from [[Hampton Loade]] to [[Bridgnorth]], noting that all the signals and most of the railway installations along the route had been removed.<ref name=Magner43>Magner (1997) pp. 43-46.</ref> While holding up the old station name board at Bridgnorth to take a photograph, they were challenged “What the hell do you think you are doing?” by a man with a shotgun. This turned out to be George Thorpe (also known as ‘Elias’) who had continued to operate the station refreshment room after the station itself had shut. Once the Society explained their idea, they were quickly made welcome!
:On Sunday 25 July, the Society made a second visit to inspect the line between [[Hampton Loade]] and Bridgnorth. They discovered that since their first visit, BR had resumed the removal of track from Bridgnorth Station towards [[Kidderminster]]. The Society authorised [[John Garth ]] to send a telegram to British Rail asking them to stop taking up the line. This was sent on Monday 26th, and at 5pm on 28 July BR agreed to a stay of execution while negotiations took place<ref name=Magner43/>.
'''August 1965'''
'''October 1965'''
:Having obtained a professional valuation of the station buildings, the Society posted a tender to BR Estates on 21 October offering £25,000 for the line from Bridgnorth to milepost 144½. On 26 October four members of the Society, led by [[John Garth]], met with BR to discuss this<ref name = SVR191/><ref name=Magner43/>.
'''November 1965'''
[[File:Bridgnorth Severn Valley Railway Locomotive Yard and Station geograph-2781621-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg | thumb|300px|right| Bridgnorth yard, September 1968 (Wikimedia Commons)]]
'''February 1968'''
:On 1 February, BR published their application for the first Light Railway Order. Objections were received from Shropshire County Council on the grounds that it would prejudice the proposed construction of the Bridgnorth By-pass (an estimated £60,000 increase on the original estimate of £1m was quoted) and from Highley Regional District Council that it would prevent road improvements on a narrow bridge in the Eardington area<ref>SVR News 13, “Severn Valley Railway Progress” ([[Richard Dunn|R.H Dunn]])</ref>. '''March 1968''':On 31 March the SVR provided a special train to convey a party of BR officers along the line, to facilitate the smooth transfer of the branch from BR to the SVR. [[3205]] was the locomotive used, with [[John Hill]] the driver<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Magner (1997)]] p. 51.</ref>.
'''April 1968'''
