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Add reference to JB Mayers' work in signalling arrangements
The first full length working of the Severn Valley Railway was a special train of 22 carriages which left Worcester Shrub Hill at 11:30am on Friday 31 January 1862. This reached Shrewsbury at 2pm, after stopping at every station to be greeted by cheering crowds. The return journey was made with three more carriages and an additional engine.
Public services began on Saturday 1 February 1862, initially with just three return workings per day. The journey from Hartlebury to Shrewsbury stopping at all stations took around 2 hours 10 minutes. Initially there were only five stations at which trains could be crossed; [[Stourport]], [[Bewdley]], [[Bridgnorth]], [[Ironbridge and Broseley]] and [[Buildwas]]. <ref group="note">JB Mayers was Station Master at Stourport from around 1867. While there '' "he received instructions from late WS Tanner to prepare a signalling scheme to allow crossing places on the Severn Valley line to be varied (previously they were fixed in the working timetable with long waits ensuing). From 1875 he spent 20 years as Station Master at Kidderminster" '' (GWR Magazine June 1906).</ref> A number of the other stations would be provided with passing loops at later dates.
In July 1862 another act of Parliament was passed giving the Great Western Railway (‘GWR’) the right to buy the Severn Valley Railway Company before the end of 1871. However in August 1863 the GWR took over the West Midlands Railway, thus assuming the latter’s running powers over the Severn Valley Railway. The Severn Valley Railway was fully amalgamated into the GWR on 1 July 1872, by exchange of Preference Shares in the former for Consolidated Stock in the latter. From that point on, the Severn Valley Railway would be one of many of the GWR’s branch lines.
:North of Buildwas Junction, the line from Sutton Bridge Junction was kept open for the movement of boilers and other equipment to the new power station. This took place on Saturday 22 April 1966, after which the section to Berrington was closed and the track lifted. The section north of Berrington continued in use for the testing of Rolls Royce Sentinel diesel shunting engines until January 1968. From that time only a short spur of the old line remained open to serve the Shrewsbury Abbey sidings oil depot until that closed to rail traffic on 18 July 1988.<ref name=Magner32/>
:South of Alveley Colliery, the line southwards through Bewdley remained in use for moving coal to Stourport Power Station until the Colliery closed in , with the last coal lifted on 31 January 1969.For a short period following closure of the line from 6 February a class 25 diesel loco was rostered to take an 8T91 Thursday afternoons only light engine move from Kidderminster to Highley to carry the wage packets of the signalman and the shunter who were still stationed there, despite traffic having finished. A third man, a lengths man, was also stationed there but he had to travel on a platelayers trolley each week to Bewdley to collect his wages.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Maggs (2009)]]</ref>
:The line between Buildwas and Alveley Colliery Sidings was abandoned by BR. In 1964 they began to lift the track from Buildwas southwards for re-use in the enlargement of Bescot yard near Walsall. Fortunately sufficient material had been reclaimed by the time the north end of Bridgnorth Station was reached, so the workforce was redeployed to work on the Stourbridge Junction to Smethwick line.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 165.</ref>
==Timetables and services==
===Through passenger Passenger services===:''Main article: [[Timetables in commercial service]]''At opening in on 1 February 1862, four there were three trains per day ran between Shrewsbury and Worcester over the Severn Valley Line, with just one train a fourth which ran from Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury and back. This quickly became four through trains per day , while a single train on Sundayswas also added to the timetable running to Shrewsbury in the morning and returning in the late afternoon. Most stopped This pattern continued largely unchanged throughout the rest of the century. Following the opening of the Kidderminster Loop in 1878, trains from the Tenbury Branch ran to Kidderminster but passengers from Shrewsbury to Kidderminster still had to change at all stations and none were particularly fast<ref name="Morriss35">Rail Centres: Shrewsbury, Richard K. Morriss (1986) p35</ref>Bewdley.
===Goods services===
:''Main article: [[Goods traffic on the SVR]]''
By their nature, most goods services were operated as required. However one scheduled goods service per day would normally work from Shrewsbury to Kidderminster. Pre-World War II this was usually operated by a GWR ‘Dean Goods’, superseded post-War by its natural replacement, the [[GWR 2251 Class 3205 | Collett 2251 0-6-0 goods]] (during the War an LNER J25 0-6-0 was often used). Another daily goods service also worked from Kidderminster over the [[Wyre Forest Line | Tenbury Branch]]. A [[Station Truck]], sometimes referred to as a Pick-Up Wagon, was a goods wagon attached to cater for small consignments that were individually insufficient to form a full wagon load.
Other goods traffic involved sugar beet trains from Kidderminster to Foley Park. The processing season ran from mid-September to mid-January, during which time up to four complete trains per day would arrive at Kidderminster. Shunting of these loads from Kidderminster yard to the Foley Park factory required a shunting engine to be available 24 hours per day<ref>[[Bibliography | Turley (2005), p72.]]</ref>.
Coal trains from Alveley required use of a tender engine. Post-War these were usually operated by a GWR 4300 class 2-6-0.
===Timetable extracts=Traffic statistics==This section provides links to individual pages showing detailed timetables :''Main article: [[Traffic statistics in use during GWR / BR ownership.commercial service]]''
<gallery mode=packed heights=Traffic statistics=200px style="text-align:left">Traffic statistics published by the GWR for stations on the Severn Valley Railway in selected years between 1903 and 1938 are set out belowFile:Traffic_Bewdley_1935-1940.<ref>[[Bibliography#Booksjpg|Nabarro (1971)]] pp. 54Bewdley statement of traffic 1935-56.1940</refgallery> Hartlebury and Shrewsbury are not shown, as their reported totals would include only a small portion of traffic relating to the Severn Valley Branch. [[Buildwas]] is included for completeness, although a portion of traffic originating there would relate to the Wellington and Much Wenlock branches.
==Accidents==
*On 13 February 1862, a similar mishap occurred near Broseley when, despite the driver sounding his whistle, the gatekeeper "was observed in deep conversation with another man" and failed to open both gates in time, resulting in one of the gates being "shattered to atoms".<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001308/18620219/119/0007 Shrewsbury Chronicle on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 2 January 1864, two wagons and the guard's van of a luggage train derailed while it was being shunted clear of a following passenger train. The passenger train stopped safely, but was delayed by over two hours.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18640106/038/0004 Worcestershire Chronicle Wednesday 6 January 1864 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 20 February 1864, a Severn Valley goods train broke down within a mile of leaving Hartlebury for Kidderminster. Despite this happening three quarters of an hour before the 9:33pm express train from Worcester was due, the Hartlebury signalman was not alerted and the express train collided with the rear of the goods train.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000033/18640223/006/0003 Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 23 February 1864 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 10 October 1865, a goods train leaving Kidderminster for London at 8pm ran into a number of wagons which had earlier run away from Kidderminster and were obstructing, undetected, the main line near Hoobrook Viaduct.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001961/18651014/066/0005 Bridgnorth Journal and South Shropshire Advertiser Saturday 14 October 1865 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On December 16 1865, late in the evening, a goods train arrived at Bewdley with the brake van having been left behind at Cleobury Mortimer due to a broken coupling, the driver being unaware of this loss until braking assistance was required at the junction with the SVR at Dowles. The driver set off back to Cleobury to collect the brake van, only to find that another coupling had broken and three wagons had been left near the junction, which he then collided with in the dark.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000150/18651223/070/0003?browse=False Worcester Journal - Saturday 23 December 1865 on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 20 June 1867, GWR 2-4-0 No 189 (ex OW&W) left the rails while departing Bridgnorth Station south-bound. The accident was attributed to the locomotive not having been properly balanced when leaving Worcester Works.<ref name="Beddoes">[[Bibliography|Beddoes & Smith (1995)]]</ref><ref>[https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=2843 Railways Archive accident summary] (Retrieved 8 November 2019)</ref>
*In March 1869 a horse drawn timber waggon became stuck while crossing the line near Hampton Loade. The waggon driver unhitched his horses and the driver and stoker of the train jumped clear before the collision and there were no injuries.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000405/18690327/121/0006 Wellington Journal Saturday 27 March 1869 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 16 June 1869 staff error lead to a collision with plant at Bewdley. There were no casualties and no formal accident investigation took place.<ref>[https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=7342 Railways Archive accident summary] (Retrieved 8 November 2019)</ref>
*On 7 May 1870 a collision occurred at Bridgnorth when a porter set points incorrectly. The points were not interlocked with the signals<ref name="Marshall" />.
*On 10 January 1871 a "distance[sic] signal had not answered to the lever", causing a luggage train to run into some passenger carriages being shunted by horse from a siding at Kidderminster.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000292/18710114/031/0004 Hastings and St Leonards Observer Saturday 14 January 1871 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 7 August 1880 "On Saturday a passenger train leaving Bridgnorth about 7.40 ran off the line between Hampton Lode and Highley, on the Severn Valley Railway, owing to a cow having strayed on to the line, which has a sharp curve at the spot. The passengers were severely shaken, and the traffic blocked for several hours."<ref>[https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3420560/3420567/156/ The Cardiff Times on the National Library of Wales archive]</ref>
*On 10 October 1888 the 6.30pm Stourbridge Goods from Tenbury ran into a passenger train from Shrewsbury at the north end of Bewdley Station. The passenger train had passed the home signal at danger and moved into the path of the goods. The report was published on 26 November 1888.<ref name="Beddoes" /><ref>[https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=6984 Railways Archive accident report] (Retrieved 8 November 2019)</ref>
*On 6 January 1891 the driver of a goods train approaching Kidderminster from Bewdley mistook the signal for the main line as being the one for the Loop Line and collided with a passenger train approaching Kidderminster from Hartlebury.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000033/18910108/014/0005 Birmingham Daily Post Thursday 8 January 1891 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 29 November 1898 a passenger train from Hartlebury was derailed at Arley after running through down home signal at danger just as the signalman was changing the points for the loop. The circumstances of the accident suggest that locking bars had not been installed at the time to prevent points being changed under a train.<ref name="Marshall" />
===Other incidents===
*On 18 June 1855, Frederick Powell, a labourer, was digging out a culvert between the two main lines at Kidderminster when he was struck by a coal train. He was knocked into the trench, but not seriously injured.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18550626/036/0006 Morning Post - Tuesday 26 June 1855 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*In May 1861 an engine cleaner named Samuel Pugh was working in a pit underneath a locomotive at Bridgnorth.<ref group="note">The railway did not open until 1862, therefore this was presumably a Contractors' locomotive.</ref> The driver who was also in the pit asked the fireman to move the locomotive. He initially failed to do so but as Pugh attempted to climb out of the pit between the wheels, the locomotive moved, "almost literally cutting the poor fellow in two". He was taken to the Infirmary where both his legs were amputated.<ref>Western Daily Press, 14 May 1861, via the British Newspaper Archive</ref>
*On 27 April 1876 George Bradley19 November 1863, a cattle drover from James Priddy of Worcester, attempted to alight from the guard of a goods train approaching Bewdley Station from London, was crushed between two trains while it was still moving. Possibly mistaking the bridge parapet for the platform, he stepped off too soon and fell to the highway below and died in shunting at Kidderminster Infirmary the following morning.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BLbl/00001500000398/1876040118631121/005018/0003?browse=true Worcester 0005 Hereford Journal - Saturday 21 November 1863 on The the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 22 January 1866 , Isiah Band, a labourer employed with another man to empty a coal wagon at Bewdley Station was crushed between two wagons and died at home the following day.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000150/18660127/140/0008 Worcester Journal on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 7 August 1868 the 'stoker' of a train approaching Bewdley from Hartlebury was attempting to grease a piston while the train was in motion when he slipped and seriously injured his foot, "the toes being completely cut off".<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000150/18680808/005/0003?browse=False Worcester Journal on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 7 January 1869, Richard Newman, a platelayer, was struck and killed by a Down train approaching Kidderminster as he walked home from work.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18690113/030/0003 Worcestershire Chronicle Wednesday 13 January 1869 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 27 April 1876, George Bradley, a cattle drover from Worcester, attempted to alight from the guard's van of a goods train approaching Bewdley Station. Witnesses at the inquest stated that, mistaking the bridge parapet for the platform, he stepped off too soon. He fell to the highway below and died in Kidderminster Infirmary the following morning. One newspaper reported that he stepped off while the train was still moving, however, the guard stated at the inquest that the train was stationary and that he had cautioned Bradley not to get out.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000150/18760401/005/0003?browse=true Worcester Journal on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref><ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002097/18760606/037/0004 Tenbury Wells Advertiser Tuesday 6 June 1876 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref><ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000150/18760408/005/0003 Worcester Journal - Saturday 08 April 1876 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*In August 1877, a man named Edwards was sweeping the platform when he stepped in front of a luggage train. Fortunately, he fell between the rails and despite the locomotive and about eight wagons running over him, he suffered only minor bruising.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18770825/043/0008 Worcestershire Chronicle Saturday 25 August 1877 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 30 November 1880, George Newman, a yardman at Kidderminster, was knocked down by a luggage train while he was oiling points resulting in his left leg being amputated.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000344/18801204/048/0007 Morpeth Herald Saturday 4 December 1880 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 27 November 1896, James Worral, a painter, was working on the new platform at Kidderminster when he was "drawn by the engine between the train and the metals and frightfully injured".<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000350/18961128/050/0005 Worcestershire Chronicle Saturday 28 November 1896 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 14 October 1901, John Hughes, a goods guard, was killed at Kidderminster. The returns of Accidents and Casualties as reported to the Board of Trade by the several railway companies in the United Kingdom during the three months ending 31 December 1901 show a goods train was being propelled into a siding when the guards van was derailed at hand points. The van turned over whilst Hughes was attempting to jump clear and he was crushed beneath it. Hughes was held to blame for the accident as he failed in his duty to ensure the points were properly set. For future safety, the Board of Trade said the GWR should consider replacing the point lever with one being properly weighted to allow the point to always fall into a safe position. A coroners’ court jury’s verdict was accidental death, with the jury censuring the GWR and its servants. The trades union, Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (now RMT), retained Wilcocks Taylor solicitor and obtained substantial compensation of £271.16.0. The solicitor’s fee amounted to £5.4.10.<ref>MSS.127/AS/7/3 Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Record of accidents, inquests, Board of Trade enquiries, and legal cases, p. 12, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick via [http://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/the-accidents/ the Railway Work, Life & Death project] (Retrieved 8 August 2021)</ref>
*In October 1902, Lewis Turner, a 56 year old engine driver at Highley Colliery, was travelling as a passenger when he overslept and missed his station. Upon being woken, he tried to leave the train while it was still moving and fell under the wheels and was killed.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000405/19021101/152/0012 Wellington Journal on The British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*On 17 April 1911, William Jones "while endeavouring to enter a train before it drew up, was flung under the train and killed" at Kidderminster.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000576/19110419/006/0003 Aberdeen Press and Journal Wednesday 19 April 1911 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
*At 2.32 pm on 3 November 1911, gas fitter D. Cartwright was injured whilst about the track at Kidderminster when he was struck by a rail motor as he stood up with his back to vehicle. He suffered cuts, lacerations and injuries to his collarbone, face and side. The whistle sounded twice and platelayer Andrews, five yards away, shouted to him, without effect. The cause was that no look-out had been posted, recently appointed leading fitter Griffiths was unaware of this responsibility under Rule 273 (f)<ref>‘Railway Accidents. Summary of Accidents and Casualties reported to the Board of Trade by the several railway companies in the United Kingdom during the three months ending 31 March 1911’, 31 March 1911, Appendix B pp. 33-34, Cd. 5808 via [http://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/the-accidents/ the Railway Work, Life & Death project] (Retrieved 8 August 2021)</ref>.
*On 7 January 1931, Fireman William Clayton "...was coupling an engine to coaches. He requested <nowiki>[Driver]</nowiki> Lloyd to "Ease up" and lifted the engine shackle over the draw-bar hook. The engine recoiled due to the braked coaches and Clayton's head was caught between the shackle and the closed gangway" at Bewdley resulting in cuts to his head and face.<ref name="RWLDP">[https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk./ ‘Railway Work, Life & Death’ project, run by the University of Portsmouth, National Railway Museum and Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick]</ref>
*On 15 April 1939, Police Constable A. R. Rudge was killed by being crushed between the buffers of two wagons at Kidderminster goods yard.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000768/19390415/264/0006 Birmingham Mail - Saturday 15 April 1939 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
==See also==
* [[Sellick Collection]], a collection of photographs of the line in the late 1950s and early 1960s
* [[Station Truck]]
* [[Country Lorry Service and Cartage Service]]
* [[Railway Navvies of the SVR]]
[http://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php?lat=52.37057&lng=-2.26833 Rail Map Online] Map of railway lines around Bewdley, showing 'The Loop' (highlighted), the original Severn Valley line continuing to Hartlebury, and the Wyre Forest Line to Tenbury.<br>
[http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17612 Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway, by J. Randall] 1863 book published as an illustrated eBook by www.gutenberg.org
[[Category:The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]
