Latest guest confirmed for heritage railway's diesel festival

Organisers have confirmed that a pair of HST powercars will join the guest line-up at the Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Diesel Festival.

Nos 43480 and 43468 from Rail Adventure will appear at the four-day event, which takes place between May 15 and 18.

The HST powercars join the already-announced Freightliner Class 66 and Class 70 locomotives that will be attending, as well as the SVR’s superb home fleet, which includes Classes 17, 20, 33, 37, 40, 42, 50 and 52.

"Our spring diesel event will once again showcase the best of both worlds," said the SVR’s managing director, Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster. "We’re fortunate to enjoy superb support from our main line friends who so generously allow us to host their locomotives. Alongside the SVR’s comprehensive home fleet of diesels, this will be an opportunity to see a wide range of diesel traction, not to mention clocking up some miles too.

"And, we have more up our sleeves, with further heritage and main line visitors to announce once everything’s agreed. Of course, the usual caveats apply to all locomotives, which will attend subject to availability.

"All in all, it’s shaping up to be another headline event. We’ve worked very hard to ensure an exciting and intensive timetable along the 12 miles of our line that we’re currently able to operate on, and this includes evening services on the Friday and Saturday nights.

"We may still be dealing with a significant landslip between Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth, but it’s not dampened our determination to go all out for this event."

At Kidderminster, tours of the Traction Maintenance Department and the Carriage Shed are bookable on the day, at the Fifty Fund stand on the station concourse.

More information and an event timetable are available at svr.co.uk.