This video is filmed from a passenger and lineside perspective. Our locomotive, BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No.75069 looked magnificent, just as it must have looked when new as it left BR’s Swindon works in 1955 to take up its first duties at Dover. Our train is made up of BR Mk1 and LNER Gresley teak carriages. For a weekday outside of the school holidays our train was well loaded, with most seats occupied, a good omen for the imminent start to the school summer holidays, traditionally the railways busiest period of year.
The guard blows his whistle, quickly followed by a loud bark from our engine as we set off along the scenic Severn Valley, never far from the river our train calls at the pretty wayside stations and halts of Eardington, Hampton Loade, Country Park Halt, Highley, Arley, Northwood Halt and Bewdley, once a double junction station, originally opened in 1862 as one of the main intermediate stations on the 40 ¾ mile (65.6km) line between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. The Tenbury & Bewdley Railway opened in 1864, with its route through the Wyre Forest branching off the SVR 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Bewdley station. The GWR opened a "loop-line" to Kidderminster in 1878 making Bewdley a double junction station. The Wyre Forest line closed in 1962, followed by the Severn Valley line in 1963. British Rail continued to serve the last remaining stations of Stourport-on-Severn, Burlish Halt, Bewdley, Foley Park Halt and Kidderminster until January 1970.
We pass a range of interesting stock, both old and modern in the sidings as we leave Bewdley, next there is the strange sight of exotic animals in West Midland Safari Park before we dive into the darkness of Bewdley tunnel.
On the outskirts of Kidderminster we pass over Falling Sands Viaduct carrying the SVR high above the River Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. As journeys end approaches the SVR runs next to British Rail's Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line. On the approach to its Kidderminster terminus the SVR has sizeable locomotive and carriage sheds where a range of locomotives and stock can be seen in the sidings. With a screech, the bakes bring us to a halt at the impressive Kidderminster SVR terminus station, a first class re-creation of an important GWR station, modelled on the design used for Ross-On-Wye. The undercover concourse offers a comprehensive range of facilities including a cafe, gift shop, heritage sweet shop and the "King & Castle" pub. After a refreshment stop we board our train for the run back to Bridgnorth.
Please join me for a ride on one of Britain's best known and much loved heritage railways.
To plan your own Severn Valley Railway adventure or to learn more about the line, please click on this link - svr.co.uk/plan...
Map at 00:18 - Google Maps
Map at 00:25 - www.openrailwa...
Track gauge - standard-gauge - 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)