Severn Valley Branch Line Weekend

On Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th March 2000 the Severn Valley Railway held a Branch Line Weekend. Visiting the railway from the Mid-Hants was Ivatt 2-6-2T 41312 and the opportunity was taken to pair this with the railway's own Ivatt 2-6-0 46521. In this on-train recording, made on the Saturday, the pair are heard making a spirited start from Northwood Halt heading for Arley.

Also visiting the railway was Collett 0-4-2T 1420 complete with auto coach. This pairing was used throughout the weekend to work shuttles between Bewdley and Arley. At Arley on the Sunday afternoon the well filled Autotrain, complete with warning gong and with 1420 leading, departs for Bewdley.

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

Two of the mainstays of the motive power department for the last few years have been Standard Class 2 2-6-0 78022 and Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48431. Both these locos were withdrawn for major overhaul at the end of 2000. During the Enthusiast Weekend held on 21st & 22nd October these two were double-heading trains. In this recording made on the Saturday near Damems Loop the pair are heard departing for Oxenhope.

The Railway's other Standard Tender engine, Class 4 4-6-0 75078 has been out of service for some time so we have to go back to 1997 for this recording. On 3rd, 4th & 5th May that year the KWVR held an enthusiast event cunningly disguised by the title 'Wheels In Motion'! Actually, they could almost have called it 'Standards Weekend' since, at that time they were able to produce 3. In this recording, made on 3rd May 1997 just to the east of Oakworth station we hear 78022 piloting 75078 heading up the 1 in 60 gradient from Damems Loop at the head of 6 coaches.

Just to complete the set lets have a recording including the Railway's Standard 2-6-4 Tank 80002. This recording was made on the same day and at the same location as the previous one and, to provide even more continuity, the loco piloting the Tank is 78022.

It must have been back in about 1973 that I made my first ever successful recording of a steam hauled train. I borrowed a Uher reel to reel recorder, a real two breeze blocks job (see the info page if you don't understand!) and set off for the Worth Valley. The results I got that day were very good but I couldn't afford to buy the recorder. I still have the tapes somewhere but nothing to play them on. The loco that day was 80002 so here is a more up to date recording of the same engine. In this recording made near Oakworth on 3rd May 1997 the Standard Tank on 6 coaches can be distantly heard leaving Damems Loop and climbing the 1 in 60 gradient before shutting off for the station stop.

I mentioned above that the Railway could almost have given the title 'Standards Weekend' to the event. The reason for the 'almost' was the inclusion in the roster of Jubilee 4-6-0 45596 'Bahamas'. Once again heard from the same spot near Oakworth, a favourite location of mine, the Jubilee is heard bringing 6 coaches up the 1 in 60 in fine style.