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Now annually an April event, now 4 days, edited accordingly
[[File:60019 20120325.jpg|thumb|300px|right|2012 Spring Steam Gala guest 60019 Bittern]]The '''Spring Steam Gala''' is the smaller of the two annual enthusiasts' galas with visiting locomotives and a more intensive timetable, but without the all night running of the [[Autumn Steam Gala]]. This The event now typically takes place in late March and in recent years was billed by the SVR as "opening the season", even though trains commenced for the February half-term week. The event normally incorporated three incorporates four days of gala running from Friday Thursday to Sunday. Other common features included demonstration freight trains and shorter local, part-line services.
From time to time visiting locomotives have been utilised for regular passenger services in the days after the gala. They are again also used for private photographic charters, after a gap in the practice between 2021 and 2023.
The first Spring Steam Gala was a one day event held on 10 April 1976 and attended by more than 2,500 travellers.<ref>SVR News 39</ref> It became a two day event the following year although still staged in April, a format maintained during the 1980s and 1990s. Early galas used home engines only, with [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas#1990-1999|guest locomotives]] appearing regularly from 1992.
In 2000 the Spring Steam Gala moved to March, the first being a 3-day event on 8-10 March 2000 advertised as a 'Branch Line Gala Weekend'.<ref>SVR News 131</ref> A number of subsequent galas were also branded as Branch Line Galas, some taking local themes such as 'Somerset and Dorset' or 'Welsh'.<ref>SVR News 138,141</ref> From 2020 it was held in an April spot, and from 2023 extended to four days.
==Notable events==
*'''2013''' The Spring Steam Gala was hit by heavy snow, resulting in attendances being around half of the numbers expected. In '''2018''' heavy snow hit the third day (Sunday). The Railway still managed to run the services as planned.
*'''2020''' Due to work on [[Falling Sands Viaduct]] closing the line between Bewdley and Kidderminster, the gala was retimed towards the end of April before being one of the events cancelled due to the [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]].
*'''2021''' The event was again arranged for April due Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also it was marketed as the 'Spring Steam Up', the SVR opting not to use the term 'Gala'.*'''2022''' Again arranged for April due to the replacement of [[Kidderminster Footbridge]] and the need to prepare for [[Bridgnorth Loco Works|Bridgnorth Loco Shed]] reroofing.*'''2023''' Again arranged for April due to the first phase of the [[Bridgnorth MPD|Bridgnorth yard relay project]]. Advertised as a three day event (Friday to Sunday). The preceding Thursday featured curated excursion trains with [[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas#2020-present|visiting GWR Collett 4073 Castle class 4-6-0 4079 Pendennis Castle]].
==Passenger numbers==
| 2022 || style="text-align:right;" | ~7,500 || SVR's PR: "around 7,500 visitors" || Reverted to normal format, held over 4 days but without the usual full line demonstration goods trains to conserve coal stocks.
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| 2023 ||style="text-align:right;" | 5,002 || The Railway Magazine, May 2023 || Paying passengers only, excluding shareholder vouchers and passes. Held over 3 days, plus preview day.|-| 2024 ||style="text-align:right;" | || ||Held over 4 days
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