The Severn Valley Railway has announced the addition of two more guest locomotives for its Autumn Steam Gala on Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 September. Black Five 44932 and Saddle Tank 51456 will join an exciting line-up of guest and home fleet engines for four days of intensely timetabled services next month.
Black Five 44932 is operated by the West Coast Railway Company and based at Carnforth in Lancashire. Designed by Sir William Stanier for the London Midland & Scottish Railway, it entered service in 1934. A total of 842 of these mixed traffic locos were built, creating one of the most numerous classes in Britain. No 44932 is painted in BR lined black livery.
Saddle Tank No 51456 will appear courtesy of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Trust and the East Lancashire Railway, subject to confirmation of the agreement following examination later this month.
Originally numbered as 752, it was built by Beyer Peacock in 1881 as a 0-6-0 tender engine, designed by Barton Wright for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. In 1896, it was rebuilt as a 0-6-0 saddle tank. It was used primarily for colliery work throughout its career, which ended in the mid-1960s. Its current identity as No 51456 in British Railways livery didn’t exist in reality, as it never passed into BR stock. However, this is the number it would have received had it not been sold to industry by the LMS in 1937.
‘We’re delighted at securing the appearances of both these locomotives,’ said Duncan Ballard, the SVR’s head of steam engineering. ‘For Black Five 44932 this is going to be an extremely rare appearance at a heritage line, and it’s going to be a great honour to host the 143-year-old saddle tank, as one of the older locomotives still working.’
The latest guests join the already-announced 45596 ‘Bahamas’ and 2999 ‘Lady of Legend’, and home-based locomotives including 13268, 4930, 7714 and 75069.
The gala will see early morning and late evening services, double headers and goods trains, and will feature local services to the SVR’s smallest station at Eardington.
Additionally, ‘Douglas’ from the Talyllyn Railway will be on display at The Engine House, Highley and visitors will be able to catch the RailArt 2024 exhibition at Kidderminster Railway Museum.’
For further information and to book tickets, visit svr.co.uk.