Changes

[[File:Flying_Pig_Railtour.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Brochure for SVR Railtours' 1981 "The Flying Pig" railtour]]For many years the SVR was closely associated with steam excursions on the main line. In the mid-1970s, even before the company acquired the final section of the line from Foley Park, the SVR set out to become a ‘BR approved’ steam centre, supplying locomotives and rolling stock overhauled to BR standards for use on main line excursions and charters.

The normal arrangement was that locomotives would leave the SVR and travel to other steam centres, in particular the Bulmers Railway Centre at Hereford, to run tours from there. The time spent away could vary from days to months. In between, locomotives would return to the SVR for repairs and overhauls, as well as working services on the SVR itself. The SVR also organised some of of these railtours.

The first recorded use of the SVR's rolling stock on the main line was an excursion from Bridgnorth to Paddington on 13 November 1976. This was hauled by a BR Western Class diesel locomotive 25292 and 25272 from Bewdleyto Kidderminster, and later by a Class 47 Diesel47120 to Paddington. (<ref>[http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/70s/761113sv.html Railtour details on Six Bells Junction])</ref><ref>[http://www.hatspics.co.uk/type_years_photos.php?type=SVR&year=1976 Alan Thwaites images on hatspics]</ref>

The first recorded use of an SVR based locomotive in revenue-earning service on the main line was [[Former ResidentsGWR 6960 Raveningham Hall|6960 Raveningham Hall]], which hauled the ‘Cathedrals Express’ from Hereford to Chester on 8 April 1978. ([http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/70s/780408fw.htm Railtour details on Six Bells Junction]). The last SVR-resident steam locomotive to work a main line excursion was 7802 Bradley Manor in 2007, although SVR-based diesels are still regularly used for this purpose.

==Listings of railtours and other significant main line appearances are included on the relevant page for each SVRlocomotive as follows:*[[GWR 2857 Heavy Goods Loco#MainLine | 2857]] : 1985*[[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall#MainLine | 4930 Hagley Hall ]] : 1979-1986*[[GWR Mogul 7325#MainLine | 7325]] : 1995-1998*[[GWR 7802 Bradley Manor#MainLine | 7802 Bradley Manor]] : 1995-2007*[[GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor#MainLine | 7812 Erlestoke Manor]] : 1982*[[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor#MainLine | 7819 Hinton Manor]] : 1985-1991*[[SR 34027 Taw Valley#MainLine | 34027 Taw Valley]] : 1989-2005*[[LMS Stanier Mogul 42968#MainLine |42968]] : 1996-1998*[[LMS Ivatt Class 4 43106#MainLine |43106 ]] : 1975-based locomotives 1983*[[LMS Stanier Class 5 45110#MainLine |45110]] : 1998-2000*[[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443#MainLine |46443 ]] : 1985-1987*[[LMS Stanier 8F 48773#MainLine |48773]] : 1975-2000*[[BR Riddles 4MT 75069#MainLine | 75069]] : 1985-1994*[[BR Riddles 4MT 80079#MainLine | 80079]] : 1980-1999  The listings are an attempt to collate information from a number of sources, none of which hauled revenue-earning services provides a complete list. Many of the tours are listed on [http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/ Six Bells Junction] (SBJ); links have been included to those that are where normally more information on the main line==precise route and timing for the specific tour may be found. [http://www.uksteam.info/tours/index.htm UK Steam] is another useful resource, with reasonably complete lists of railtours since 1996. Where railtours were mentioned in [[Severn Valley Railway News | SVR News]], the issue number and page has been shown.

===Current Other locomotives still resident on the SVR locomotives===which have worked on the main line in preservation are:

*[[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall | 4930 Hagley Hall]]*[[GWR 7802 Bradley Manor | 7802 Bradley Manor]]*[[GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor | 7812 Erlestoke Manor]]*[[GWR 7819 Hinton Manor | 7819 Hinton Manor]]*[[SR 34027 Taw Valley | 34027 Taw Valley]]*[[LMS Stanier Mogul 42968 | 42968]]*[[LMS Ivatt BR Class 4 43106 | 43106]]*[[ LMS Stanier Class 5 45110 | 45110]]*[[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443 | 46443]]*[[LMS Stanier 8F 48773 | 48773]]*[[BR Riddles 4MT 75069 | 75069]]*[[BR Riddles 4MT 80079 | 8007950 50007 Hercules]]

*[[LNER 4236 Gangwayed Passenger Brake 4236]]

*15 October 1977: ??-' The Severn Valley Limited', itinerary included Plymouth and Liskeard.<ref name="SVR45" /><ref>[http://taillampphotography.com/47100_47199.htm Taillamp Photography] (Retrieved 7 October 2019)</ref>

However their use on the main line was short-lived; the as BR then introduced an annual inspection fee of £1,000 per coach which made their use uneconomical.<ref>SVR News 157</ref> The C&W notes in SVR News for summer 1980, reporting on the SVR coaches attending the Rainhill celebrations, ended with the comment “What a pity the whole train cannot go out again”<ref>SVR News 56</ref>.