Difference between revisions of "The Severn Valley Railway in preservation"

History

Opening dates

Services on the SVRSevern Valley Railway began progressively as follows:

• May 1970: Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade. This section had been closed by BRBritish Rail or British Railways in 1963.
• May 1974: Hampton Loade to Bewdley (services as far as Highley began a month earlier). The SVRSevern Valley Railway also acquired the line between Bewdley and Foley Park, although this was only used on special occasions such as 'Enthusiasts Events'. BRBritish Rail or British Railways’s use of Bewdley Station and the Foley Park connection had ended in 1970 when onward services from Bewdley ceased.
• July 1984: Bewdley to Kidderminster. Use of the last portion under BRBritish Rail or British Railways ownership for commercial traffic from Foley Park to Kidderminster had ended in 1982. BRBritish Rail or British Railways would continue to use the existing station at Kidderminster as part of the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester line. As it was not feasible to share this station, the SVRSevern Valley Railway built their own adjacent station, Kidderminster Town.

Other notable events

• 1965: Formation of the Severn Valley Railway Society.
• 1967: Arrival of the first locomotives and carriages at Bridgnorth. Formation of the Guarantee Company
• 1972: Floatation of SVR(H)
• 1973: The ‘ Nabarro crisis’
• 1978: First SVRSevern Valley Railway-based steam locomotive to haul a main line rail tour
• 1982: Last use of Eardington as a request stop
• 1983: Completion of Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge, Bridgnorth embankment collapse
• 1985: City of Truro ‘April Fool’
• 1986: Bewdley Bypass Bridge completed
• 1987: Kidderminster Signal Box commissioned
• 1990: Bridgnorth Boiler Shop opened
• 1991: Kidderminster Railway Museum opened
• 1993: First overnight running at an Autumn Steam Gala
• 1996: Country Park Halt opened
• 2000: Locomotive fleet decimated by the ‘boiler crisis’
• 2003: Kidderminster Carriage Shed built
• 2006: Kidderminster station building East wing and canopy completed
• 2007: Last SVRSevern Valley Railway-based locomotive to haul a main line rail tour
• 2007: The railway suffered massive flood damage
• 2008: Opening of The Engine House
• 2010: 40th Anniversary of operations on the SVRSevern Valley Railway
• 2015: 50th Anniversary of the SVRSevern Valley Railway in preservation
• 2016: Diesel Depot built
• 2016: Bridgnorth Development Project phase 1 began

Follow the links below to see a history of the SVRSevern Valley Railway in preservation by year.

Current Organisation

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) is made up of three companies:^[1]

• Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC, usually abbreviated to “SVRSevern Valley Railway(H)”, is the public company that owns the railway’s infrastructure. SVRSevern Valley Railway shareholders own shares in this company.
• Severn Valley Railway Company Limited, commonly referred to as “the Guarantee Company”, is the SVRSevern Valley Railway’s membership arm and provides the staff (mainly volunteers) to operate the railway. The Guarantee Company owns approximately 25% of SVRSevern Valley Railway(H). The SVRSevern Valley Railway has around 13,000 members, who are automatically members of this company (all volunteers must be members).
• Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd, “the Charitable Trust”, raises funds to support the SVRSevern Valley Railway. The ongoing objective is to raise funds for the long-term preservation of rolling stock belonging to the trust, while other recent initiatives have included funding for the SVRSevern Valley Railway’s Heritage Skills Training Academy, and arranging Heritage Lottery support for the restoration of 4930 Hagley Hall and for the SVRSevern Valley Railway Future Fund Endowment.^[2]

The Severn Valley Railway Association, “SVRASevern Valley Railway Association” was a separate group run by working volunteers with the objective of providing support to the SVRSevern Valley Railway membership, and particularly the working volunteers. The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association was merged into the Guarantee Company in October 2015.^[3]

Internally the SVRSevern Valley Railway is organised into a number of departments, principally as follows:

Motive Power Department (MPDMotive Power Depot)

Bridgnorth Locomotive Works

Bridgnorth Boiler Shop

Locomotive Crew

Operating Department

Train crew

Signalling

Station personnel

Booking office personnel

Permanent Way Department (P.W.Permanent Way Department)

Carriage and Wagon Department

Signalling and Telecomunications

See also

• The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership
• The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

References

1. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway website
2. ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway Charitable Trust website
3. ↑ SVRASevern Valley Railway Association website

Links

• SVR Organisation (under ‘Consolidation…’)
• SVR Charitable Trust website
• SVRA website