Whyte notation

Whyte notation describes the arrangement of wheels on a steam engine. It uses 3 numbers separated by dashes. In order, it shows the number of uncoupled wheels in front of the driving wheels, the number of coupled driving wheels, and the number of uncoupled wheels behind the driving wheels (ignoring wheels on the tender if the locomotive has one).

A letter based suffix is used to show whether the locomotive is a tender engine or tank engine:

  • No suffix indicates a tender engine.
  • T indicates a ‘side tank’ engine, with a tank each side of the boiler resting on the locomotive’s frames.
  • PT indicates a ‘pannier tank’ engine, having a tank hung on each side of the boiler but clear of the frames. This arrangement was used most commonly, though not exclusively, by the GWR.
  • ST indicates a ‘Saddle tank’ engine, having a single tank slung over the boiler like a saddle.
  • WT indicates a 'Well tank' engine, having the water tank between the frames, under the boiler.

Thus ‘Flying Scotsman’ would be described as a 4-6-2 (a tender engine with 4 leading wheels, 6 coupled driving wheels and 2 trailing wheels), while ‘Thomas the tank engine’ is correctly described as 0-6-0T (6 coupled driving wheels, no leading or trailing wheels, and side tanks).

Certain common configurations acquired names, those most relevant to the SVR being:

  • 2-6-0 Mogul (SVR domiciled examples include 43106 and 7325)
  • 2-6-2 Prairie (SVR domiciled examples include 4566 and 82045)
  • 4-6-2 Pacific

Thus ‘Flying Scotsman’ would normally be referred to as an example of a Gresley Pacific, rather than a Gresley 4-6-2.

Small diesel and petrol engine locomotives may be described using the same system. This may be followed by D for diesel or P for petrol, and another letter describing the transmission: E for electric, H hydraulic, M mechanical. Thus 0-6-0DM denotes a six-wheel diesel locomotive with mechanical transmission.

For large diesel locomotives the UIC classification is used. UIC classification can also be used to describe steam locomotives, although in the UK Whyte notation has prevailed apart from the brief use of a modified version of UIC classification by the Southern Railway described here.

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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Trimpley Reservoir can be seen to the west of the line between Bewdley and Arley. The reservoir, which is managed by Severn Trent Water, was opened in 1968 and covers 29 acres. It is open to the public and is used by the Trimpley Sailing Club, while other activities include angling, wildlife watching and walking. (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 SVRMapandlinks.png
Click on the map for a
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!

Adding to this Wiki

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.

Alternatively, if you don't feel confident editing this Wiki (although there is no reason you shouldn't!!), each article also has a "Discussion" page, which can be accessed by clicking the relevant button in the top left hand corner. This allows you to make additions, suggestions, or corrections to a page without making any change to the article itself.


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