1501 at Arley, 25 October 2017

1501 steams into Arley from the south, 25/10/17, 1/2...

1501 steams into Arley from the south, 25/10/17, 2/2.

Kidderminster Town Station

Kidderminster Town is the southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway. Lying barely 200 yards across a car park from the current Kidderminster stop, the Severn Valley station is probably the most convenient way to access the heritage line.

The station itself is not an original piece of GWR architecture, having been built in 1984 as part of the SVR's expansion southwards from Bewdley. Constructed on disused sidings formerly owned by British Rail, the station is therefore much younger than its cousin at Bridgnorth (opened 1862). Nevertheless, the station maintains a bygone style with Edwardian glass roofs and wooden awnings.

Photographs

2857 at a dull Kidderminster Town, 07/09/17

43106 waiting for a tender-first morning departure to Bridgnorth, 25/10/17

50031 'Hood' sits at Kidderminster Town. Note that this shot was taken at the same time as the picture above, but this time with the sun behind the camera (much less editing)!

43106 Approaching Arley

Borle Viaduct - Borle Brook

Borle Viaduct is a 42-yard bridge which carries the Severn Valley Railway over a small stream known as the Borle Brook. The Brook itself flows into the Severn immediately east of the viaduct's four arches.

Located north of Arley, the bridge offers some spectacular photo opportunities both from the near side and from the numerous public footpaths on the higher ground above the opposite river bank. The view is particularly colourful in autumn due to the many trees which grow behind the bridge.

Photographs

7714 approaches Borle Brook from the south...

...before crossing the viaduct itself amid the autumn colours.

1501 pulling its 10.50 Bridgnorth-Kidderminster service tender first over the viaduct.

Borle Viaduct

I was able this week to get down to the Severn Valley Railway again to try out a new walk I had planned near Arley. I'd set out to get some shots of Borle Viaduct from the eastern bank of the river and was very happy with my first attempt, despite the somewhat grey conditions. The forecast had actually predicted clear skies all day, but predictably these only materialised once I'd snapped the two trains I'd planned to see at Borle and had returned to the village. Luckily, however, this did mean that I was able to get some great snaps of Arley station washed in autumn sunshine, which I'll save for a future post. Anyway, here are three from Borle on a slightly grey October morning - definitely one to try again in clearer light!

2857 at Kidderminster

43106 at Northwood, 07/07/17

Arley Station

43106 approaching Arley from the north on 25 October 2017.

Another picture from my visit to the Severn Valley Railway on 7 September 2017. This time it's 2857 (at 99 years of age!) departing Arley on the northbound morning service to Bridgnorth. The shot was taken from the bridge overhanging the station.

Looking south, here's 1501 at Arley in October 2017:

1501 steams into Arley from the south, 25/10/17, 1/2...

1501 steams into Arley from the south, 25/10/17, 2/2.

43106 on Victoria Bridge, Arley - 07/09/17

I had a spare day's holiday to use last week, so I took a trip on the Severn Valley Railway from Kidderminster up to Arley, with the intention of then walking the Severn Trail back down the river to Bewdley. The walking part of the day proved to be a mixed bag - I managed the lovely walk past Trimpley Reservoir but got lost at the holiday cabin site in Northwood, causing me to lose the public footpath and walk down a narrow country lane into Bewdley instead. The weather was also grey and overcast, which was less than ideal for photography. Luckily, I now have Adobe Lightroom (see previous post!) to help me iron out the blanched and featureless skies you invariably get when taking pictures in conditions like this. I've also invested in a petal hood for the camera, but I doubt it made much difference in such poor light. Anyway, the net result of all this was one of my best shots, a really well-composed shot of 43106 'The Flying Pig' crossing the Severn by means of the scenic Victoria Bridge just south of Arley.

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.