‘SCOTSMAN’ AND TORNADO SMASH SVR RECORDS
The hisToric first meeting of arguably the world’s two most famous steam locomotives drew nearly 45,000 people to the severn Valley railway’s ‘Pacific Power’ event on september 22-26 - making it the most successful event in the line’s history.
Fifteen thousand people bought tickets to travel behind Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado and Gresley ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman - the stars of the SVR’s ‘Pacific Power’ event. On top of that, an estimated 30,000 spectators came to witness the first time these celebrity locomotives had met. The latter was making its first appearance on the 16-mile line since it was returned to steam following a £4.5 million overhaul earlier this year (see page 6). Tickets for the event were sold out well in advance and in a bid to prevent similar trespass incidents which have blighted Flying Scotsman’s recent runs on the main line, stringent protocols and safety procedures were mapped out and rehearsed prior to the event. Some 25 staff worked trackside over the six-day
period in 12-hour shifts to combat trespass. In a statement, the SVR said: “Forward planning paid off as no trespass halted trains and the railway’s incident book remained blank as the couple of very minor potential trespass situations were swiftly dealt with by diligent lineside teams.” Severn Valley Railway Marketing & Communications Manager Clare Gibbard said: “The whole event has been an incredible feat of organisation by both the staff and our volunteers. “Everyone here has worked so hard for so many months, and the fact that the event has gone so smoothly, in spite of unprecedented visitor numbers, is testament to the team’s meticulous planning, diligence and dedication. “We’d also like to thank our extremely cooperative landowners along the line who opened up their fields and farms as viewing points for spectators. We’re also grateful to the thousands of members of the public who turned up to see these amazing locomotives and donated many thousands of pounds to station funds.”