Moonlit Severn Valley sell-out steam photographic nights
THE Severn Valley Railway entered into organising diesel night photography events at its Kidderminster diesel depot last year – and they sold out immediately. Now, similar steam sessions have proved also to be a soaraway success.
Over the late evenings of February 23/24, steam took over Bewdley station, where GWR 4-6-0 7812 Erlestoke Manor and pannier No. 7714 were posed in various positions around the Great Western station, recreating scenes of yesteryear.
The first steam event was advertised on the SVR website – and sold out instantly! Accordingly, a relief was added the following night. Admission was limited to 25 people to enable a comfortable evening of photography and cost £60 for the three-hour session.
Before anyone was allowed onto the platforms, a safety briefing was given by SVR Company Ltd director Martin Creese to explain the dos and don’ts, which everyone adhered to.
Lineside access was not permitted at the station, and people were advised to wear appropriate footwear rather than loose-fitting shoes.
Martin, the organiser of 30742 Charters, brought along the lighting to illuminate the event, and it worked extremely well.
Multiple views
No. 7812 was placed in Platform 3 on an appropriate No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor, where it sat for the majority of the time, and No. 7714 was attached to the goods, then shunted onto Bewdley North Viaduct alongside the signalbox. Plenty of time was given for everyone to move around and cover many angles.
Once everyone was happy, the pannier tank and its goods consist was moved forward towards Platform 2, just beyond the ornate footbridge for more shots, enabling a recreation of No. 7714 passing No. 7812 sitting in Platform 3. Again, plenty of time was allowed for people to take photographs from either side, giving a good variation of angles.
One minor issue was shooting from the footbridge. When you walked over it, the boards moved slightly, hence moving your tripod and creating a blurred image. People were aware of this and kept still when taking time exposures.
Towards the end of the shoot, No. 7714 was run to the south end of the station and No. 7812 backed out beyond the bracket signal that controls Bewdley Station from the south, giving a completely different viewpoint from inside the fence in the yard.
Once all train movements had stopped, the barrow crossing, which is used for disabled access to Platforms 2 and 3, was utilised for additional shots under very strict control. Again, all participants kept within the set boundaries.
Thankfully, the weather throughout the event was very kind to the participants, with no rain – though wet platforms can add a character all of their own. There was a full moon, providing extra light in the sky and giving it a slightly blue colour.
The majority of participants did not use flash, which could have caused problems, especially with long exposures, and tripods were the order of the evening, which worked considerably better under the circumstances.
Thanks to volunteers
All station staff, crews, and guards were volunteers and did an excellent job entering into the spirit of the occasion.
The start time was 6.30pm and it was supposed to finish at 9.30pm; time was extended, enabling more shots to be taken. There was no pressure to hurry from the crews despite that after the photographers had left, the locomotives had to be disposed of.
What made this event viable was that both locomotives had been in service either side of the separate daytime event, running footplate experience courses (see pages 40/41), so did not need to be steamed specially – a very wise decision economically.
Visitor engagement manager Lewis Maddox said: “I started photographing the SVR back when I was aged 14, and I have had my camera in hand ever since to capture our amazing railway in every season and every type of weather. Once you’re bitten by the snapping bug, it’s hard to shake off!
“With this in mind, daytime photographic charters were reintroduced last year and we’ve now successfully run three additional night shoots to showcase our unrivalled fleet of locomotives and rolling stock.
“It’s important for the SVR to use our assets to create moments from yesteryear that can’t be achieved during a normal operating day; Nos. 7812 and 7714 at Bewdley station with appropriate stock is preservation perfection, and this shows that the SVR recognises the importance of an interesting programme of enthusiast events (not just galas!) and how we can reap the rewards.
Future opportunities
“We are looking to expand our programme of photoshoots, hopefully with one or two utilising both Arley and Bewdley. We are always looking at ways to increase revenue; having locomotives out during the day on public service or footplate experience and then using them in the evening while ‘hot’ makes absolute sense.”
The buffet was open for food and hot or cold drinks, and a vintage bus was positioned in front of the station to add to the atmosphere. Bewdley lends itself for night shoots, being typically Great Western and having three platforms, and there is plenty of opportunities for cameos from different angles.
The success of these two evenings will pave the way for more in the future. Watch the SVR website for future night shoots, but book quickly – they sell out instantly, and spaces are strictly limited to 25 people.
➜ For further details when available, visit https://svr.co.uk/all-events/