Tornado for Severn Valley Season Finale

The final visiting engine for the Severn Valley Railway’s Season Finale Gala on November 5/6 has been announced: ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado.


At the Severn Valley’s Pacific Power event, Tornado, with nine Gresley teak coaches in tow, climbs towards Foley Park tunnel with the Bridgnorth-Kidderminster express on September 22. REV. ANDREW DOW


The locomotive was recently one of the stars of the SVR’s Pacific Power event on September 22-26, where it lined up alongside ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman for the first time in preservation.

The railway reported that, in addition to the 15,000 people who bought tickets to ride behind arguably preservation’s most famous engines, a further 30,000 took to the lineside to witness the spectacle of these two Eastern Region ‘Pacifics’ working over the 16-mile line.

Also visiting the Bridgnorth-Kidderminster railway are Hughes-Fowler ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 No. 13065, courtesy of the East Lancs Railway, and GWR ‘42XX’ No. 4270, visiting from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

The ‘Crab’, which is currently lined out in LMS Crimson Lake, previously visited the SVR in 2001 and its anticipated pairing with the line’s LMS rake will surely be one highlight of the event.

The trio of visiting locomotives will be joined by a pair of engines from the SVR fleet: former Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813 and Collett ‘57XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 7714. The former will be making its first public appearance since the completion of its overhaul in August this year, whilst the latter’s availability is subject to the completion of its overhaul, which is now at an advanced stage.

Rounding out the line-up is ‘Small Prairie’ No. 4566, which will be making its last gala appearance before being withdrawn for overhaul.

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