By Paul Appleton
THE layout of the Severn Valley Railway’s Bridgnorth station yard, familiar to visitors and relatively unchanged since public heritage era trains first started running in 1970, is set to change massively under Phase 2 of the Bridgnorth Development Plan.
For the past 50 years, the exit route from the station’s overflow car park has been alongside the locomotive depot, giving visitors a brief glimpse of locomotives that are stabled there from a vantage point not normally available to the public.
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However, that is set to change as the exit road will need to be rerouted to allow for the installation of the former Bristol Bath Road turntable in the locomotive yard, giving the railway the opportunity to turn engines at either end of the line for the first time. Kidderminster already has such an installation at the rear of the recently-completed diesel maintenance depot.
Unprecedented views
Instead, visitors will be able to enjoy watching locomotives being turned from the safety of the station platforms and footbridge, while land recently acquired from Apley Farm Estates will give visitors unprecedented views of the station and yard from Panpudding Hill, a scheduled ancient monument, which will also provide a new vista across the town and the River Severn.
Read more in Issue 232 of HR – on sale now!
