Bewdley SVR Station

A slightly change from our usual programming this week as we look at Bewdley station on the Severn Valley Railway. Bewdley station opened in 1862, although the line connecting it with Kidderminster was not opened until sixteen years later. The station was hit by the rationalisation drives of the early 1960s, before closing completely to regular traffic in 1970.

Happily, the station only remained derelict for a few years as volunteers from the Severn Valley Railway were able to expand their existing route from Brignorth to Hampton Loade (operational since 1970) to Bewdley in 1974. The extension to Kidderminster was then added in 1984, completing the route over which the SVR currently presides. Today, Bewdley is a popular tourist destination and the station remains a wonderful time capsule of a small Worcestershire station during the age of steam.

I visited the SVR in early April 2016, and took a short return trip to Bewdley for the afternoon. The train was pulled tender-first by 34053 'Sir Keith Park', a rebuilt Battle of Britain 'Pacific' class that was sent for scrap at Barry in 1966 before being passed around a succession of collectors for the next three decades. The locomotive was finally restored by Southern Locomotives (the full story can be found at their site here) during the early 2000s, and Sir Keith has been on duty at the Severn Valley Railway since summer 2012.

'Sir Keith Park'

The 10.30 Kidderminster-Bridgnorth service waits to depart...

My seat for the short 14-minute journey.

34053 'Sir Keith Park' from the front.

Sir Keith lets off some steam at Bewdley.

Bewdley Station

In case you weren't sure!

The northern signal box.

The view south from the passenger footbridge.

The view north from the passenger footbridge, 1/2.

The view north from the passenger footbridge, 2/2.

The station building, 1/2.

The station building, 2/2.

The island platform at Bewdley.

The passenger footbridge.

Wagons sat in the bay siding, 1/4.

Wagons sat in the bay siding, 2/4.

Wagons sat in the bay siding, 3/4.

Wagons sat in the bay siding, 4/4.

One of the five Class 108 railcars based at Bewdley.

7812 'Erlestoke Manor'

Or else!

Outside the Station

Bewdley Station from the outside.

The ambulance carriage now in use as a classroom.

Assorted wagons, 1/5.

Assorted wagons, 2/5.

Assorted wagons, 3/5.

Assorted wagons, 4/5.

Assorted wagons, 5/5.