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Western Locomotive Association

The Western Locomotive Association Limited ('WLA') owns BR Class 52 locomotives D1013 Western Ranger, D1048 Western Lady and D1062 Western Courier.

The WLA was founded in 1974 and was incorporated in November 1999 as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, company number 03873466. It is also a registered charity number 1115058 with its activities being "The preservation, maintenance and operation in working order of its locomotives D1013 Western Ranger and D1062 Western Courier, so far as reasonably practicable, in a condition authentic to their service on British Railways as museum exhibits and to advance the education of the public in the history of the said locomotives." Its locomotives moved to the SVR in 1978, and 2018 marked 40 years on the SVR. The WLA operates membership by subscription, and publishes Western Courier magazine and The Western Linesider leaflet containing latest WLA news.

At Bridgnorth the WLA has workshops and stores adjacent to Hollybush Road sidings, to the north of the station. The WLA contributed funds to, and also uses the facilities of, the Diesel Depot. The WLA maintains good relations with Rolls Royce (formerly MTU and Maybach) and Voith in Germany, original manufacturers of the engine and transmission types respectively.

It became the first diesel-owning group in the country to go ‘carbon neutral’, working with a specialist rewilding charity to planting trees in the Scottish Highlands to offset the carbon produced by operating its locomotives.[1]

The WLA is a minor shareholder in SVR(H)[2].

Contents

Grants and external funding

  • On 29 April 2005 the Heritage Lottery Fund granted the WLA £45,500 towards Western Courier's overhaul, which was used for sending a defective Voith transmission to the manufacturer in Germany.[3]
  • In 2008 the WLA received a Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM) Fund award of £2,500, which covered the first stage of restoration of D1013.[4]

Unsuccessful application

In 2023 the NLHF responded negatively to an Expression of Interest application to fund a complete bogie overhaul to main line standard (estimated at £756k), saying "the combination of heritage importance, evidence of need and value for money would make it a low priority for lottery funding."[5] The WLA did not proceed further with the application.

Sales

The railway operates a sales stand on days when the locomotives operate on the SVR and at diesel and mixed traffic galas, offering Western branded and themed merchandise. The stall is usually at Bridgnorth but during the Bridgnorth Development Project this moved to Kidderminster station concourse and the Diesel Depot. It also operates an online shop.

Special workings

From the 1980s onwards the WLA has run a very popular series of 'OBBO Tours', giving the opportunity to travel in a train consisting solely of a Western locomotive and one of the Observation saloons. Refreshments are served, a cab ride is available between stations and photographic opportunities are available.

Models

From time-to-time the WLA collaborates in the production of limited edition models. An incomplete list is:

  • O Gauge Model Class 52: 'Just Like The Real Thing' modified kit. DCC soundcard with Howes sound on ESU Loksound v 4.0 chip, built to individual specification.
  • 2013: A limited edition of 150 Dapol OO gauge models of a Maroon D1062 Western Courier was delayed, with delivery originally promised to coincide with the 50th celebrations of the locomotive in May 2013. Dapol issued a statement in July 2013 apologising for production difficulties and no blame for the delay could be attributed to the WLA.
  • 2018: Special Edition Dapol OO Gauge "Western" D1013 Western Ranger BR Blue - Black-backed plates

It also operates Bridge Norton model railway, an O gauge diesel hydraulic layout. This featured in the Diesel Depot at Members & Shareholders Weekends.

See also

Diesel Locomotives
List of preservation groups
List of Charities associated with the SVR
Sales Stand

References

  1. ↑ Branch Lines, September 2021
  2. ↑ Western Courier magazine, Autumn 2020, p.28
  3. ↑ The National Lottery
  4. ↑ PRISM Fund Annual Report 2008-2009
  5. ↑ WLA newsletter June 2023

Links

Western Locomotive Association website
Companies House
Charity Commission

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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Eardington is situated on Eardington Bank, mid-way between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. In recent years, rebuilding the platform was completed in 2019 and the water tower was dismantled in 2021. Although the station no longer features in daily operations, it resumed use during gala events in 2023 more than 40 years since regular timetabled trains ceased. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks2.png
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larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

Categories of article

History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Miscellaneous


Query Corner

Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

In addition are a number of stub articles requiring further input.

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This site, or "wiki", is a collaborative effort, and anyone who has any knowledge relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway should feel free to contribute. Once you have created a user account and logged in, you can modify any page by clicking the "Edit" button in the top right hand corner. For some tips on how to format pages, and some guidelines on how to make this wiki accessible can be found on Tips for contributing to the SVR Wiki.

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