Changes

1990 saw the [[Severn Valley Railway ]] celebrate its Silver Jubilee.

:The heavy overhaul of [[LNER 60009 Union of South Africa |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.

:[[61994 The Great Marquess |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. SVR 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.

:[[SR 34027 Taw Valley |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|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.

: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 SVR, BR 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 SVR had unknowingly achieved a ‘full house’ by rostering [[GWR Small Prairie 4566|GWR 4566]], [[SR 34027 Taw Valley]], [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|LMS 46443]], LNER 3442 The Great Marquess and [[BR Riddles 4MT 75069|BR Standard 75069 ]] on the same day.

:As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, [[Railcar 22 ]] returned to the SVR and appeared at the Diesel Gala, remaining until July.

'''Summer 1990''': [[GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor |7812 Erlestoke Manor]] left the SVR for overhaul at Swindon, becoming the first SVR locomotive not to be overhauled in the [[Bridgnorth Loco Works]].

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

: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 South signal box|Bewdley]] section, but services had to cross in the passing loop outside the station.