As popular as ever – Severn Valley Railway’s first big diesel event for three years
A wide variety of visiting classic and modern diesels featured.
THE Severn Valley Railway’s
May 19-22 Spring Diesel Gala was the first large-scale diesel event since May 2019. This was a great success with around 4800 passengers carried, more than previously. Despite increased costs, the occasion turned in a healthy profit.
Inevitably, with an event fielding so many locos, some were unable to appear. These were two Class 20s, ‘Deltic’
No. D9009 Alycidon, and the DBC Class 67. Replacements were Swanage Railway-based Class 33 No. D6515 Lt Jenny Lewis RN,
GBRf’s ‘ED’ Class 73s Nos. 73107 Tracy and 73136 Mhaira.
Other visitors were Class 44
No. D4 (44004) Great Gable and Class 46 No. D182 (46045), DRS Class 68 No. 68003 Astute and GBRf’s latest Class 69, No. 69005 Eastleigh.
Jonathan Dunster, SVR deputy chairman and chairman of the SVR diesels committee, said:
“We were particularly grateful to GBRf for allowing us to host the first public run of a Class 69 on a heritage railway, and to DRS for sparing one of its Class 68s.”
No. 69005, turned out in BR ‘Crompton’ lined-green livery similar to No. D6515 (33012), was used on extra turns due to the absence of the Class 67.
Home fleet
Resident locos also proving popular were Class 50s Nos. 50007 Hercules and 50035 Ark Royal, Class 52s Nos. D1015
Western Champion and D1062
Western Courier, Class 40
No. 40106 Atlantic Conveyor. Class 17 ‘Clayton’ No. D8568, as well as Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’
No. D9551 and long-term visitor, Class 31 No. 31466.
Class 52 No. D1062 has a changed identity for the season following a dedication ceremony at Kidderminster on May 19. In honour of HM the Queen’s platinum jubilee it was renumbered and named D1040 Western Queen (RM April p69), after its long-scrapped sister.
Class 50 No. 50007 Hercules
carries an alternative identity on one side, of long-lost ‘Hoover’ No. 50034 Furious.
There was one minor failure during the event when
No. D6515 suffered a split air pipe on the Friday evening. It was quickly attended to by the support crew, enabling it to return to traffic for the weekend.
Looking ahead, the autumn gala (September 29-October 2), will be heritage locos only, with no modern, main line traction. ‘Peak’ No. D182 is remaining for the summer until this event. It is hoped ‘Deltic’ No. D9009 will join the railway later in the season ready for the occasion. Michael Owen’s BR blue Class 20,
No. 20048 arrived at Kidderminster behind Nos. 20142 and 20007 from the Midland Railway-Butterley on June 10. It too is due to stay on the SVR until at least the autumn gala.
Performance
“For four days in May, diesels well and truly owned the SVR and a great time was had by all,” said Lesley Carr, SVR’s head of marketing & communications.
“Diesel power is definitely proving extremely useful to us at the moment because of the universal difficulties in obtaining new supplies of coal. With extra assistance from our diesel fleet, we are able to offer full timetables to our visitors – and we are very grateful to be able to do that.”