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:On Friday 25 June 1965, the 'Kidderminster Shuttle' reported that BR had withdrawn the 8.30am 'Cathedrals Express' service from Kidderminster to London. Keith Beddoes, a local railway enthusiast, discussed this with a group of colleagues at work. The subject changed to the attempts to reopen part of the Bluebell line, and Beddoes suggested that the same could be done here.<ref name=MagnerBeddoes>[[Bibliography#Books|Magner (1997)]], pp 60-64, "Personal memories of Mr Keith Beddoes"</ref>
:Letters were written to the local press over that weekend, and on Monday they responded, suggesting a meeting. This took place at the house of [[Tony Tuite]], a colleague of Beddoes, on the evening of Tuesday 29 June. Those present decided to organise a public meeting and arrangements to advertise this were put in hand<ref name=MagnerBeddoes/>.
'''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 [[Tales from the Severn Valley#George_Thorpe.2C_licensee_of_The_Railwayman.27s_Arms|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'''
[[File:Archive poster 12.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Early SVRS poster]]
:The Society’s initial goal was to operate services over the 4½ miles between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. However the Society would also need to take on the track between Hampton Loade and Milepost 144½ near [[Alveley Sidings|Alveley]] in order to maintain a connection to the main line via the section beyond, which BR was still using for colliery traffic from [[Alveley Colliery]].
'''September 1965'''
[[File: S3641 SLS Special at Bewdley 1965.jpg |thumb|300px|right| The SLS special at Bewdley (David Cooke)]]
[[File:SVRSposterJonathanWilcox.jpg |thumb|300px|right| Early SVRS poster]]
:On 19 September 1965 the Stephenson Locomotive Society visited Alveley with a special train from [[Bewdley]], hauled by GWR locomotives 4555 and 1420. This helped publicise the preservation scheme.<ref name=Magner43/>
'''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'''
'''October 1967'''
:The first full 'Steam Weekend' took place on 14-15 October. [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR# Carriages scrapped while at the SVR|GWR Brake Third 5136]] had been installed in the cattle dock at Bridgnorth and was brought into use as a refreshment coach.<ref>SVR News 163</ref> 3205 and 46443 worked a four coach formation with the last train of the evening being double headed with five coaches. Operations at the time were under the direction of [[Bill Gillett|Mr W Gillett]], the Chief Operating Inspector of BR’s Birmingham Division, and he allowed a full service to [[Hampton Loade]] to be run. The Railway had not yet received the Light Railway Order allowing rides to be given to the general public. However SVR members could travel, so the Railway did a brisk trade in ‘Day Member’ tickets, while full membership of the [[Severn Valley Railway Society]] also benefited, passing the 1,000 mark by the end of the year.
:[[2047 Warwickshire|Manning Wardle contractors engine no 2047]] (later named Warwickshire) arrived on 22 October.
[[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'''
:On 7 September, work began to dismantle the signal box at Pensnett which over the following months would be dismantled and reassembled at Bridgnorth<ref name=SVRNews11>SVR News 11</ref>.
:In addition to the "Members' day ticket" type operations, a number of private parties were also carried on the SVR prior to opening. The 'Gilt Edge Carpet Special' with [[46443]] on 21 September 1968 was one such<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Williams (1974)]] p. 61.</ref>.
'''October 1968'''
==1969==
[[File:S0657_Big_4_Line_Up_1969.jpg | thumb|300px|right| The Easter 1969 line-up (David Cooke)]]
[[File:Archive poster 3.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Whitsun Steam Gala poster]]
[[File:Archive poster 4.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Steam Gala poster]]
'''January 1969'''
:[[LMS Stanier 8F 48773|LMS Stanier 8F No 48773]] (LMS 8233) arrived in steam on 4 January.
:During January BR announced that thy they proposed to end passenger services between Hartlebury, Bewdley and Kidderminster from 7 April 1969 (the closure actually took place in [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1970|January 1970]]). The SVR had already announced an intention to purchase the section from Alveley to Bewdley following this closure, and were in contact with BR<ref name=SVRNews11/>.
:[[Alveley Colliery]] closed at the end of January 1969, following which BR officially closed the adjacent section of the line from [[Alveley Sidings|Alveley]] to [[Bewdley]]. Technically the area north of Bewdley was a closed siding under BR control and therefore subject to the recently imposed BR steam ban. Early in 1969, BR banned steam operations by the SVR, a blow which made the SVR members all the more determined to re-open the line.
'''April 1969'''
:The 'Easter steam gala' on Sunday 6 April saw Bridgnorth's four tender locos lined up in the yard (see photo)<ref>SVR News 13</ref>. Members' trains were not allowed following BR's ban, although 3205 was in steam and travelled light engine to Eardington to take water<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Williams (1974)]] p. 51.</ref>.
'''June 1969'''
'''July 1969'''
:Ex Manchester Ship Canal and ICI Hunslet 0-6-0T [[686 The Lady Armaghdale]] arrived on 14 July.
'''September 1969'''
:A 9-vehicle convoy left Bridgnorth by rail to visit Birmingham Railway Museum at Tyseley for a special event. The convoy consisted of BR Brush Type 4 No. 1858, [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR|GWR BTK 5787]], [[46443]], [[3205]], [[Railcar 22]], [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR|Royal Saloon 9001]], [[Carriages formerly resident on the SVR|GWR BCK 7285]], [[GWR 6562 Brake Composite|GWR BCK 6562]] and a BR brake van<ref>SVR News 14</ref>. It won the [[Awards|cup for best exhibit]].<ref>SVR News 210</ref>
'''October 1969'''
