Severn valley ‘4MT’ derailed afTer hiTTing Tree
BR ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 No. 75069 was partially derailed after striking a fallen tree at the Severn Valley Railway on July 22.
The locomotive was running light from Bridgnorth to work the first train of the day from Kidderminster, when it ran into the tree, which had fallen across the line between Country Park Halt and Highley.
Said to have been two or three feet thick, the tree derailed the engine’s bogie, damaging sleepers and chairs, which had to be replaced and the track realigned.
The line was accordingly closed between Bridgnorth and Highley, and an emergency timetable implemented between Kidderminster and Highley, while a vintage bus operated a replacement service from Upper Arley village to Bridgnorth. Visitors to the latter station on July 23 were offered footplate rides on ‘57XX’ pannier tank No. 7714.
Repairs to the track were completed at around 3pm on July 23, and services resumed along the full length of the line the following day.
Repairs to the ‘Standard 4’ were under way as this issue went to press, with the aim of having it back in traffic for the Autumn Steam Gala of September 19-22 (see page 25).
Neil Taylor, engineering services manager at Bridgnorth, said: “It’s not too bad – we’ve checked the bogie axles and they aren’t bent, which is what we were worried about.
“All the front end ‘furniture’ was damaged – the steamheat and vacuum pipes need replacing – and on the right-hand side, one of the cylinder drain cock castings and the drain pipes were knocked off.
“The guard irons were also bent – but they did their job!”
The gap in the SVR steam fleet left by the Standard’s withdrawal was filled by Ivatt ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 43106, which returned to traffic in early August following a valve and piston exam.