Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999

This page has been created to hold information on 1990 to 1999. It is in course of being populated.

1990

1990 saw the Severn Valley Railway celebrate its Silver Jubilee.

February 1990:

The heavy overhaul of 60009 Union of South Africa was completed two days inside the agreed 1 year period. The locomotive ran three return test runs in mid-February which were made open to the public, drawing a large crowd. The locomotive rapidly returned to the main line, hauling a VIP special across the Forth Bridge on 4 March.

The Great Marquess hauled “The White Rose” from London Marylebone to Sheffield on 17 February. The locomotive continued to Scotland to haul a return tour from Carlisle to Skipton a week later. SVRSevern Valley Railway News reported that this was the first engine to work from London to Scotland in steam since Flying Scotsman’s non-stop run in 1968.

March 1990:

34027 Taw Valley returned from the winter season at Marylebone, before later setting off on another season of Crewe-Holyhead express working.

An appeal was launched to build a new footbridge to connect Bridgnorth Station to New Road, between Low Town and High Town. The previous footbridge had been deemed beyond repair and demolished by Bridgnorth Council in 1976.

May 1990:

1 May saw the 150th anniversary of the Penny Black postage stamp introduced by Kidderminster’s Sir Rowland Hill. A private Royal Mail / British Rail charter ran from London to Birmingham hauled by electric locomotive 90019, newly named “Penny Black”. Haulage from Birmingham to Kidderminster was by diesel electric 47515 “Night Mail”. On the SVRSevern Valley Railway, BRBritish Rail or British Railways locomotive 47474 was named “Sir Rowland Hill”.

Sunday 13 May saw the normal summertime Table C timetable in use, requiring 5 steam locomotives. Only later was it pointed out that the SVRSevern Valley Railway had unknowingly achieved a ‘full house’ by rostering GWRGreat Western Railway 4566, SRSouthern Railway 34027 Taw Valley, LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 46443, LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway 3442 The Great Marquess and BRBritish Rail or British Railways Standard 75069 on the same day.

As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, Railcar 22 returned to the SVRSevern Valley Railway and appeared at the Diesel Gala, remaining until July.

SVRSevern Valley Railway membership reached 15,000.

Summer 1990: 7812 Erlestoke Maor left the SVRSevern Valley Railway for overhaul at Swindon, becoming the first SVRSevern Valley Railway locomotive not to be overhauled in the Bridgnorth Loco Works.

September 1990: 4472 Flying Scotsman arrived for the Jubilee Autumn Gala on 17 September, accompanied by owner Sir William McAlpine.

October 1990:

HRH The Duke of Gloucester officially opened the Bridgnorth Boiler shop. 7819 Hinton Manor carried the appropriate Royal headlamp code for the occasion.

A two-car DMUDiesel Multiple Unit arrived on loan to the SVRSevern Valley Railway for a two year trial period. The group organising the loan proposed to use it for ‘untapped’ portions of the market such as one-off hires and evening / scenic specials.

December 1989:

Following ballasting and laying of sleepers and rails during the year, Platform 2 at Kidderminster was brought into use. This allowed two trains to be in Kidderminster Station at the same time. Previously, commissioning of the Kidderminster signal box in late 1987 had removed the ‘One Engine in Steam’ restriction on the Kidderminster to Bewdley section, but services had to cross in the passing loop outside the station.

1989 saw new records for the number of passengers on the Santa Services (42,602) and ticket sales in the year (209,837). Turnover exceeded £2m for the first time.

13 steam locomotives were used during the year as follows:

Locomotive	Comment
2857
4566
5764
6960 Raveningham Hall
7819 Hinton Manor
34027 Taw Valley	Reunited with own tender
42968	Running in following restoration
46443
47383
48773
61994 The Great Marquess
75069
600 Gordon	Returned following overhaul

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

See also

The Severn Valley Railway in preservation
( 1980-1989 ) ( 2000-2009 )

Sources

SVRSevern Valley Railway News unless otherwise stated.