ENTHUSIAST Galas GALORE at SEVERN valley Next Year

There will be four galas at the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) next year, including a new goods-themed event. The latter, on June 2-3, coincides with both Eardington Halt’s 150th anniversary, and the centenary of ‘28XX’ No. 2857. In addition to passenger services, the KidderminsterBridgnorth line will run three goods trains, with the Churchward 2-8-0 expected to haul a heavy GWR freight. There will also be a ‘mini gala’ held the weekend after the traditional ‘Autumn Steam Gala’, focusing on the railway’s smaller locomotives, such as Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813 and ‘57XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 7714, as well as a number of visiting engines. These galas will be run in addition to the usual spring and autumn galas; only one visiting locomotive to the former has so far been announced, North Norfolk Railway-based ‘B12’ No. 8572. The LNER 4-6-0, which is expected to be reunited with the line’s rake of Gresley teak coaches, will be making its first appearance on the SVR since 1998. The event will also mark the first gala appearance of SVR resident BR Standard ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 No. 75079, which is currently in the final throes of its overhaul at Bridgnorth and expected to enter traffic later this year.