The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

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For many years the SVRSevern Valley Railway 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 SVRSevern Valley Railway set out to become a ‘BRBritish Rail or British Railways approved’ steam centre, supplying locomotives and rolling stock overhauled to BRBritish Rail or British Railways standards for use on main line excursions and charters.

The normal arrangement was that locomotives would leave the SVRSevern Valley Railway 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 SVRSevern Valley Railway for repairs and overhauls, as well as working services on the SVRSevern Valley Railway itself. The SVRSevern Valley Railway also organised some of of these railtours.

The first recorded use of the SVRSevern Valley Railway's rolling stock on the main line was an excursion from Bridgnorth to Paddington on 13 November 1976. This was hauled by a BRBritish Rail or British Railways Western Class diesel locomotive from Bewdley, and later by a Class 47 Diesel. (Railtour details on Six Bells Junction)

The first recorded use of an SVRSevern Valley Railway based locomotive in revenue-earning service on the main line was 6960 Raveningham Hall, which hauled the ‘Cathedrals Express’ from Hereford to Chester on 8 April 1978. (Railtour details on Six Bells Junction)


SVRSevern Valley Railway-based locomotives which hauled revenue-earning services on the main line

Current SVRSevern Valley Railway locomotives

Former residents

(list to be added)

SVRSevern Valley Railway Carriages used on the main line in preservation

The following carriages travelled on the main line while based at the SVRSevern Valley Railway, either as part of revenue-earning rail tours or to attend celebratory events:

Rail 150, Shildon 1975

  • Clapham Buffet 9631
  • LMS 26986
  • LNERLondon & North Eastern Railway Passenger Brake 4236

The SVRSevern Valley Railway GWRGreat Western Railway set

In the mid to late 1970s the SVRSevern Valley Railway provided a rake of GWRGreat Western Railway carriages for use on mainline excursions. The first rail tour used 10 carriages, subsequent excursions normally featured a rake of 11. The following carriages were used[1]:

Rail tours recorded in SVRSevern Valley Railway News as using the SVRSevern Valley Railway rolling stock included the following (external links are to tour details on www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk where listed there):

  • 13 November 1976: Bewdley to Paddington[1] link
  • 23 April 1977: Bridgnorth-Hereford-Chester[3] link
  • 3 July 1977: Paddington-Newport-Shrewsbury[4]link
  • 15 October 1977: ??-Liskeard[4]
  • 6 May 1978: Bewdley-Kingswear[5] Link
  • 4 November 1978: Bridgnorth-Pwllheli[6]

However their use on the main line was short-lived; the C&WCarriage & Wagon notes in SVRSevern Valley Railway News for summer 1980, reporting on the SVRSevern Valley Railway coaches attending the Rainhill celebrations, ended with the comment “What a pity the whole train cannot go out again”[7].

Rocket 150, Rainhill 1980

Main line support coaches

GWR 6913 Brake Composite was overhauled to main line standard in 1985 for use as a support coach for SVRSevern Valley Railway locos working on the main line. The first trip following the overhaul was with 7819 Hinton Manor[8].


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 41
  2. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 44
  3. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 46
  4. 4.0 4.1 SVRSevern Valley Railway News 45
  5. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 48
  6. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 50
  7. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 56
  8. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 77