Trustworthy, administrator
11,886
edits
Changes
m
formatting
:[[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>
'''May 1985''': [[GWR 813 Saddle Tank|GWR 813]] visited Didcot as part of the GWR 150 events, travelling 70 miles in the sidings there.
:The water column at Kidderminster was commissioned. Previously locomotives at the south end of the line could only take water at [[Bewdley]].
:Kidderminster was added to BR’s list of authorised steam routes. The first railtour involving a steam departure from Kidderminster was the ‘Western Stalwart’ on 6 July 1985, hauled by 4930 Hagley Hall and Tyseley’s 7029 Clun Castle.<ref>[http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/850706pr.htm Railtour details on Six Bells Junction]</ref><br>
'''August 1985''':
