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The guest locomotive at the Autumn Steam Gala was No 53809, a former Somerset & Dorset Railway engine then based at the Midland-Railway Centre at Butterleywas booked as the guest engine, but did not arrive in time. [[SR 34027 Taw Valley|Taw Valley]] also appeared hauled a ten coach staff special on Saturday evening as its first train following restoration. '''October 1987''': Having failed to appear at the gala following restorationSteam Gala, 53809 worked services during the Diesel Weekend on 10-11 October<ref>SVR News 86, cover photo by David Williams</ref>.
Link added
'''May 1980''':<br>
On Saturday 17 May, LMS Princess Royal Class 6201 ''Princess Elizabeth'' started line side fires in the Ruabon area. Following the imposition of a steam ban, a diesel-hauled convoy of SVR locomotives and rolling stock departed for Rainhill on Monday 19 May. The SVR participants in the grand parade at the [[Rocket 150 ]] celebrations at Rainhill on 24-26 May were [[GWR 2251 Class 3205|3205]], [[LMS Ivatt Class 4 43106|43106]], [[LMS Stanier Class 5 45000|45000]], [[LMR 600 Gordon|600 Gordon]], [[BR Riddles 4MT 80079|80079]], [[BR Class 52 D1062 Western Courier|D1062 Western Courier]] plus 3 coaches, [[GWR 829 Full Third]], [[GWR 6913 Brake Composite]], and [[LMS Brake Third Corridor 26921]]. [[LNWR 3020 Cornwall|3020 Cornwall]] was also due to take part, but was forced to withdraw when the BR boiler inspector put his hammer right through the front ring of the boiler barrel! (All pictures from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository)<br>
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:The Great Western Weekend saw 7 of the SVR’s GWR engines in action.
'''August 1980'''
:The Ruston-Bucyrus coaling crane at [[Bridgnorth MPD]] was replaced by the first of the Sambron telehandlers.
'''September 1980''':
'''Late 1981''':
:WD 193’s loan to Hereford was extended, while [[LMS Stanier Jubilee 45690 Leander|45690 Leander]] left following completion of the overhaul begun the previous year. [[LNWR 3020 Cornwall|3020 Cornwall]] was to return to the [[National Railway Museum | NRM ]] until funds could be found for its overhaul.
'''December 1981''':
:The [[Christmas services|Santa steam specials Special services]] struggled thorough in the worst winter weather seen in 31 years, with snow and daytime temperatures of -25°C hampering operations.
:Filming for an episode of [[List of film and TV productions filmed on the Severn Valley Railway#TV Commercials and other | ITV’s ''Game for a Laugh'']] took place, involving musician and entertainer Joe Brown firing [[BR Riddles 4MT 80079|80079]], repeating a job he previously did for BR while a fireman at Plaistow.
By May 1982 traffic from the BSC factory at [[Foley Park sidings|Foley Park]] had ceased, and the Directors of the SVR were ‘keeping a close watch’ on the situation. The BSC sidings closed officially in October.
'''May June 1982''': GWR 7000 Class 7029 'Clun Castle' visited the railway for two weeks, including appearing on the Sunday of the Great Western Weekend(20 June) and the following Saturday 26 June<ref>SVR News 64 p.8.</ref>.
'''September 1982''': [[LNWR 3020 Cornwall|3020 Cornwall]] returned to York. The cost of repairs to the boiler, which had been condemned in May 1980, were deemed too expensive by the SVR and the Department of Education and Science.
'''November 1982''': The line was severed south of [[Bridgnorth]] as construction of the Bridgnorth Bypass began, involving construction of the new [[Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge]]. Work would continue throughout that winter.
'''December 1982''': The [[Christmas services|Santa Special services ]] saw more than 20,000 passengers for the first time.
Locomotives used and mileages recorded were as follows:
1983 was a year of anticipation, as the [[Severn Valley Railway|SVR]] moved ever closer to its goal of reaching [[Kidderminster]].
'''January 1983''': 257 Railway Squadron took over the SVR for 3 days and staged simulated warfare between Bewdley and Highley, much to the surprise of local residents.<ref>SVR News 67</ref>.
'''March 1983''':
:The Board announced a number of changes to the locomotive fleet. [[LMS Stanier Jubilee 45690 Leander|45690 Leander]] had been acquired from ‘Leander Locomotive Limited’ (LLL). The purchase also included unrestored sister [[LMS Stanier Jubilee 45699 Galatea|45699 Galatea]], then at Carnforth, which could be restored or used as a source of spares for Leander. To finance the deal, the [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|Ivatt Class 2 46443]] had been sold to LLL and would move to Loughborough in June/July 1984. Finally [[WD 193 Shropshire|WD 193]], which had been on loan to Hereford since January 1981, was in the process of being sold.
'''December 1983''': Four locos hauled more than 30,000 passengers on the [[Christmas services|Santa Special services]]. A decade earlier a single saddle tank [[WD 193 Shropshire|WD 193]] had done the job single-handed.
Locomotives used and mileages recorded were as follows:
'''October 1984''': The SVR Board rejected a proposal from a local group to re-erect the former Exeter West Signal Box on the SVR, despite fund raising having taken place on the Railway for several years. The signal box was eventually re-erected at the Crewe Heritage Centre.
'''December 1984''': The first [[Christmas services|Santa Special services ]] from Kidderminster involved 34,628 passengers. Turnover for the year passed £1 million for the first time, helped by the Kidderminster opening.
Locomotives used during the year and related mileages were:
'''April 1985''':
:[[GWR 3717 City of Truro|3717 City of Truro]] was lent by the NRM to the SVR in 1984 to be overhauled for use in GWR 150. On 1 April 1985 (a clue), ''Steam Railway'' published an article stating that the 'City of Truro' was to be restored in BR lined black livery complete with smokebox number plate. A photograph of the locomotive in this totally unauthentic livery appeared with the article, which went on to say that SVR Loco Superintendent Nula Seer was responsible. In fact just before strip-down began, the SVR had painted and lined out one side of the locomotive to provide the photograph (this pre-dated digital manipulation of pictures), and Nula Seer was really [[Alun Rees]]. The joke did not go down well in some quarters; the SVR received many vitriolic letters threatening returned membership cards, cashed-in shares and a boycott on visits.
:[[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor|7819 Hinton Manor]] worked the first day of a 2-day railtour from Bristol ''The Great Western Limited'' double-headed with 6000 King George V. The King failed at Taunton with a ‘hot box’. 7819 suffered a similar fate at Exeter but was later able to proceed to Plymouth to be repaired overnight. 4930 Hagley Hall worked light engine overnight from Kidderminster to Plymouth, and the two SVR engines hauled the return to Bristol over the Devon Banks the following day.<ref>Railtour details from Six Bells Junction ([http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/850407sl.htm Day 1]) and ([http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/850408sl.htm Day 2]).</ref><br>
==1986==
[[File:Kidderminster stone.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Plaques unveiled at the opening of Kidderminster Town Station.]]
'''Spring 1986''': Bridgnorth District Council issued a Notice ordering the SVR to stop riveting boilers in the open air, the SVR not having a boiler shop at that time. A Crown Court Hearing would later overturn the Notice.
'''July 1986''':
Friday 4 July saw the unveiling of a plaque two plaques commemorating the official opening of [[Kidderminster|Kidderminster Town Station]]. The same day saw [[GWR 3717 City of Truro|City of Truro]] leave the SVR bound for the NRM at York. During her time at the SVR she had worked a number of main line events as well as services on the SVR.
Sunday 6 July saw ‘SVR 21’, a celebration to mark the 21st anniversary of the founding meeting at the Cooper’s Arms. Many of those who took part had been at that first meeting, including Keith Beddoes whose idea it was.
The service in which [[LMS Stanier 8F 48773|48773]] was dedicated to the memory of British military railway personnel took place at [[Highley]].
'''October 1986''': The line was closed on 20 October 1986 for construction of the [[Bewdley Bypass Bridge]]. Construction was completed and the line reopened in time for the [[Christmas services|Santa Special services ]] in December.
'''November 1986''': Following a second Notice from the District Council and appeal by the SVR, an agreement was reached to restrict boiler work to 9-5 on weekdays for the next two years, subject to planning permission for the erection of a boiler shop. The first planning application was promptly refused by the District Council.
'''September 1987''':
'''December 1987''': [[Kidderminster signal box]] was commissioned, together with the loop between [[Kidderminster Footbridge]] and [[Hoo Road Bridge]]. Working over the section to [[Bewdley]] was by [[Acceptance Lever]] rather than by [[ Single line working using tokens | Electric Token]] in part due to the distance from the signal box to the end of the loop. The loop also saw the SVR’s first use of an electric points machine, rather than direct connection to the signal box using rods.
'''November 1988''': The contract was let for construction of the boiler shop at Bridgnorth, with a target completion date of April 1989.
'''December 1988''': The December [[Christmas services|Santa trains Special services]] carried more than 38,000 passengers, while total ticket sales for the year exceeded 200,000 for the first time.
Details of locomotives used during 1988 were published at the end of 1989 and are set out in a table ([[#1989Mileage |below]]).
