Severn Valley Railway: 2025 'Spring Steam Gala'

Over the Easter bank holiday weekend - 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st April - the Severn Valley Railway held their annual spring steam gala for 2025. Operations would be scaled back this year, after the terrible landslip near Sterns earlier this year, which severed the line between Hampton Loade and the northern terminus at Bridgnorth,. Despite this, it was still set to be a cracking gala, with an all star line-up running passenger and goods trains between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade, while short passenger rides within the boundary of Bridgnorth Station would be on offer behind the few locos that remained up there following the landslip.

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Probably the biggest guest loco pull was the announcement of LMS Jubilee No.45699 'Galatea', who spent a period of its early preservation life, between 1987 and 1994, stored in ex-Barry Scrapyard condition at Bridgnorth, before moving to Tyseley until 2002, when it was bought by its current owners, West Coast Railway Company and subsequently moved to Carnforth for full restoration, which was completed in 2013. Other than an appearance at a Mid-Norfolk Railway gala in 2014, it's been exclusively used on main line charter trains ever since its return to steam, so this was a rare chance to catch the loco on the heritage railway circuit.

From one Jubilee to another, Galatea would be joined by its double chimney fitted classmate, 45596 'Bahamas', who had previously visited the line last year, for the first time since the 90s. The third and final guest was the new-build GWR 'Grange' No.6880 'Betton Grange', who had just missed out on a planned appearance at last year's spring gala pending its near completion.

On the home fleet side of things, 7802 'Bradley Manor' made its first gala appearance since returning to steam after major cylinder repairs. Marking 60 years since the withdrawal of the GWR Manors from BR service in 1965, 7802 ran without nameplates and was given the "Danny's bull" treatment, with its smokebox door hinges, dart, lamp irons and buffers painted white in the style applied to the loco by Aberystwyth shedmaster, Danny Rowlands, during its final year in traffic.

The full lineup:

Home Fleet:

GWR 7800 Class 4-6-0 No.7802 'Bradley Manor'
GWR 7800 Class 4-6-0 No.7812 'Erlestoke Manor'
BR Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 No.75069
GWR 4900 Class 4-6-0 No.4930 'Hagley Hall' *
GWR 5700 Class 0-6-0PT No.7714 *
GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2T No.1450 *

Guests:

GWR 6800 Class No.6880 'Betton Grange'
LMS 5XP Class 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 No.45596 'Bahamas'
LMS 5XP Class 'Jubilee' 4-6-0 No.45699 'Galatea' **

Stabled at Bridgnorth and does not feature
** Currently running as scrapped classmate, 45627 'Sierra Leone'

Filmed on Sunday 20th April 2025, using a Panasonic HC-X1500 with an Audio-Technica BP4025 microphone.

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00:00 6880, Northwood Lane
01:46 45627, Sandy Lane
03:16 75069, Rifle Range
04:43 7802, Rifle Range
05:59 6880, Victoria Bridge
07:27 45627, Northwood
08:58 45596, Tenbury Wall
09:56 7802, Orchard Crossing
11:11 6880, Tenbury Wall
12:08 7812, Northwood

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