• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Severn valley railway.

Went to Severn valley railway Arley on Thursday and popped into the Harbour Inn. It is the fishing season and there were lots of southerners up trying to catch barbel. I have put these photo's on for Pete {onjim} as I think this is where he used to go for days out when he was a child. The weather was lovely and there were not too many people about. Jean.
 
Lovely photos Jean, it all so lovely and peaceful. I keep saying to Andre we ought to have a trip on the railway, but never much response I'm afraid :rolleyes: Denise
 
If anyone's interested it' the fourties theme on the railway this weekend. The only problem is you can never find a parking space as it is such a popular event. Jean.
 
They were arriving yesterday Tom as some go for two weekends. There is a lot going on at the harbour this week and I just hope is stays dry for them. Jean.
 
Jean nice pics ta.

Now i am wandering,before svr took over the line,were did the trains come from.snow hill,moor st or else where?

What was the names of the stations on the line?

Were did the trains turn around for the return trip?
Can any one please tell me the answers to my questions.
 
Pete, Pete says that sometimes the trains went from Moor Street but usually they go from Kidderminster right through to Bridgenorth. [Fantastic pint in the bar there] lots of different trad beer. Did you recognise the shingle beach as it is called in the summer lots of children paddle and fish with nets there. Jean.
 
If anyone is going to this week-ends event at SVR, would you mind asking anyone in authority there, whether there is still a George Clarke helping out there? He was a good friend of mine while I lived in Brum, and his passion was painting and the SVR, and I havent heard from him since I moved up here over 30 years ago. Be much obliged, but I know its asking a lot. Barry.
 
Bazz I will e.mail my friend who'se husband knows lots of the workers on the railway. They pop into their pub The Harbour for a drink. I will pass the gentlemans name on for you. If not I will enquire at the Button Oak next week as one of their regulars Alan works on there. He is a retired motor bike cop but loves what he does now and does not get paid for it. Bye. Jean.
 
Hi all family did that this week, would have liked to stay for the 40s this weekend enjoyed the railway. some photo's of the witches hut very nice and had a week there 19Th till the 26 June, Bill
 
mw0njm said:
Jean nice pics ta.

Now i am wandering,before svr took over the line,were did the trains come from.snow hill,moor st or else where?

What was the names of the stations on the line?

Were did the trains turn around for the return trip?
Can any one please tell me the answers to my questions.
Click to expand...

I went on the line in pre-Beeching BR days, changed from a Birmingham-Worcester train at Kidderminster, the line went right through to Shrewsbury in those days.
Stations were:
Kidderminster
Foley Park
Rifle Range
Bewdley
Northwood (halt, I seem to remember - you hailed the train like a bus!)
Highley
Hampton Loade
Eardington
Bridgnorth
Linley
Coalport
Jackfield
Ironbridge & Broseley
Buildwas (A junction - the Telford area to Craven Arms via Much Wenlock line crossed here)
Cressage
Cound
Berrington
Shrewsbury General.

What a shame it doesn't go through to Ironbridge heritage area now, that would bring in lot more visitors to both attractions.

Coalport Station, having sat abandoned and derelict for two decades, has now been privately restored and a couple of nicely converted carriages sited as self-catering holiday apartments. https://www.coalportstation.com/
 
Lloyd thanks for that I am well surprised. You won't believe this but your cottage [Penfold cottage] when it went on the market the above poster Bill Pearson almost bought it. What a small world. We met up with him last week sat outside the New Inns and it all came out then. They rented the Witches House or Hut on our site. Bye. Jean.
 
As a bou in 1950's our family built a bungalow at Hill Farm? Northwood Halt. We had al our holidays there. my Grandad built it, it is still there saw it last year. We would walk down th e lane to Bewdley to get a recharged accumulator, cooking was Calor, lighting was oil lamps, water was from a tap in the field. Autumn Half term was damson picking for the farmer... Great Days..
 
Leonard we went a ride up there last year. Certain sites were still a bit dodgy after the land slides the previous year but have not been back this year as our friends have moved off. Lovely to look back at those childhood memories. Bye. Jean.
 
leonardjob said:
As a bou in 1950's our family built a bungalow at Hill Farm? Northwood Halt. We had al our holidays there. my Grandad built it, it is still there saw it last year. We would walk down th e lane to Bewdley to get a recharged accumulator, cooking was Calor, lighting was oil lamps, water was from a tap in the field. Autumn Half term was damson picking for the farmer... Great Days..
Click to expand...
Hi Leonard, I was 14 when me and a lad called John Aston from Eliot street school, we would get ore bikes and ride to pound green pitch a little tent and spend the weekend at Arley, My mother came one day to see what we was up to and liked it, she then had a little shack on Hungery Hill Edwards farm next to Oli davies and that's my start at Arley. now I'm 70 just been back after about 35 years and what a change... at Arley station a lad called big Dave use to be our ankerman at tug o war on the rive side at the Harbour Inn Meg and Len was the last people that had that pub when I left. Bill.
 
We have just returned from a fantastic day out. We left Dorridge station travelling to Kidderminster - free up to Stourbridge courtesy of one Travel Pass and one season ticket. Then onto the SVR up to Bridgnorth. Lunch at 'Cinnamon' with views over the town. Then down to Highley to walk around the 'Engine House' then back to Kiddy and home. Lots of nutters overdressed in the heat for the Forties Weekend but looks more like a week.

Thoroughly great day was had by both.


PS - I thought I had a photo of GG Jean but looked again and could not see her ;)
 
Made a note of the Cinnamon Berny was it good there?. Glad you enjoyed your day out and Pete asked if it tired you both out?. Well words to that effect. Jean.
 
Cream crackered tell him Jean. Changed a lot since I last visited - then we were able to ramble around the Locos at the Bridgnorth end. We will be back as friends have a place near Bridgnorth overlooking the river. Near the caves it is.
 
I've probably mentioned it before somewhere on the forum, but I had my first childhood holiday towards the end of WW2 at Arley. I went on a train to Bridgenorth or probably Shrewsbury and was very disappointed because it was a GWR Diesel railcar and not a 'real' steam train. So I had my 'Forties Week' in the real Forties.:)
 
oldMohawk said:
I went on a train to Bridgenorth or probably Shrewsbury and was very disappointed because it was a GWR Diesel railcar and not a 'real' steam train.
Click to expand...

I was delighted that my ride on the BR severn valley line WAS on one of those GWR Railcars, the only ride I ever had on one. I watched the driver through the glass panels, and was amazed to see him reach down and put a brick on the 'accelerator pedal' they had, then open and read a newspaper in between stations as it went along!
It was one of these later ones with the sharp angled cabs, but in a grimy BR red and cream livery.
 
Lloyd imagine a driver doing that today. Years ago before our twins went to school we were on a train back from Wootten Wawen when the driver invited them into the cab to drive the train. I hadn't a camera with me on that occasion neither had my mom. Imagine that happening today. Our friends wife went on the [don't know what you call it] where they stoke the engine on her birthday last year and she loved it. Jean.
 
It does still happen, but vary rarely, Jean.
Back in the 60s I was on holiday with relatives in a Northamptonshire village where there was only one goods train a day, I used to go and watch it come in and sometines drop off a coal wagon in the siding. One day I was invited up on the footplate (was that the word you were looking for Jean?) and told to 'pull that lever'. I did and the engine started off down the platform. We went about a quarter mile, then they stopped the engine and took me back. While we were gone a van was unloaded of some parcels on the platform by the stationmaster and guard. Railways of a byegone age!

Here's where it was, the station is a house now, there are a couple pf bungalows where the track and left hand platform were, the line beyond the station has reverted to farmland. Never again will the 10:27 'stopping parcels' chuff slowly in, and the crew retire to the stationmaster's office for a cuppa as they often used to.
 
Lloyd said:
I was delighted
Click to expand...
Yes, that pic brings back memories. I now remember watching the driver through the window. They seemed to be ideally suited to the SV line but maybe they had problems or Dr Beeching got at them. I think my next train trip was in the early 50's, this time on a real steam train, a 7 hour all night Moor St to Ilfracombe including what seemed like a 3 point turn at Barnstaple :)
 
Does anyone remember the Midland Red motorway express coaches racing (and beating!) the steam express trains alongside the M1 south of Rugby? When the electrification came, the train always won.
 
I look at old railway pics and think that the old telegraph poles looked so nice with loads of wires and insulators. As you went along in the train I remember how the lines seem to go up and down between the poles. There were probably some long ago on the SVR so I'm still on topic - do they still have them today on the SVR ?
 
Bernie D'Boult said:
We have just returned from a fantastic day out. We left Dorridge station travelling to Kidderminster - free up to Stourbridge courtesy of one Travel Pass and one season ticket. Then onto the SVR up to Bridgnorth. Lunch at 'Cinnamon' with views over the town. Then down to Highley to walk around the 'Engine House' then back to Kiddy and home. Lots of nutters overdressed in the heat for the Forties Weekend but looks more like a week.




PS - I thought I had a photo of GG Jean but looked again and could not see her ;)
Click to expand...

Hi Bernie,

I had a week in Arley and was told that the 40s weekend was on that Saturday so I started heading for home that very morning. On the way back cars from the 40s was heading down to the station in Arley and Highly, the German's was planning to attack Highly station, I said get on with it.. Bill... P/s seen all the photo's in the pub from last year.

Thoroughly great day was had by both.
 
Bill Lloyd is the person who'se family had the cottage you were going to buy. This is the cottage with some of his family on. Where we sat on Thursday [ouside the pub of course] it's down the lane opposite on the right. Take care. Jean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top