The Fund is an unincorporated body with a number of 'shareholders'. The Fund publishes an annual newsletter.
Contents
History
The 4150 Fund was launched in March 1973 to purchase GWR 2‑6‑2T No 4150 from Barry Scrapyard, for the price of £2,750.
4150 left Barry in 1974 and in company with 7812 Erlestoke Manor was towed by Class 25 diesel to the Dean Forest Railway at Parkend. However site difficulties meant no work took place, and led to the Fund deciding to move the locomotive to the SVR. The move to Bewdley took place in January 1978, again by rail.
The Fund acquired a Gresley teak coach, GNR BCK 229 (later LNER 4229 and BR mess van TDE 320700) which arrived at Bewdley in 1977 and was used as a mess van.[1] Ownership was later transferred to the LNER Coach Fund.[2]
By the mid-80s fund raising and restoration progress had slowed. In November 2006 an EGM was held and a new committee was formed to restart and complete the restoration, which continues. 80 of the original Shareholders were traced, twelve of whom increased the number of shares they held, and a new issue brought in a further 68 Shareholders. A recommendation to amend the constitution to 'one member, one vote' was however rejected as, although an overall majority were in favour, it failed to reach the required majority of two-thirds. By 2008 a referendum had been held with a unanimous result in favour of adopting a new Constitution, which came into effect on 1 January 2009. The 2008 AGM was informed that a few Fund spares had been recovered by the Trustees, but some were unaccounted for.
Fundarising
In 2008 a Severn Valley Railway Association raffle raised a record net total of almost £16,000 toward the boiler work.
The Fund organised Peep Behind the Scenes, an annual fundraising event, between 2010 and 2016.
From 2016 the Fund ran an Evening Social Special, a special train which includes Great Western toplight coaches and provides suitable liquid refreshments. It departs from Kidderminster for a full return trip.[3]