Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services
Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services, sometimes referred to by the acronym ESMPEngineering Services, Motive Power., carries out the preservation, refurbishment and maintenance of the SVRSevern Valley Railway's locomotives and rolling stock. The railway's skills and knowledge in maintaining the traditional railway, and its many areas of expertise and component supply, are also available to other rolling stock owners and railways as contract services.
Contents
History
By autumn 2011 the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Motive Power Department consisted of two main sections based at Bridgnorth Loco Works, 'Mechanical' and 'Boiler', with the latter having a separate Boiler Shop Foreman and Boiler Contract Foreman.[1] At the beginning of 2012 the department was renamed Severn Valley Railway Engineering Services, with the Boiler section overseeing both internal and contract work under a single Boiler Shop Manager.[2]
In December 2017 it was reorganised under an Engineering Services Works Manager and an Engineering Services Carriage and Wagon Manager, both reporting to the General Manager (later Managing Director). Before 2020 the two roles were combined into a Head of Engineering.[3]
From about 2018 the roles were supported by a Engineering Advisory Group under the SVRSevern Valley Railway Management Advisory Groups structure, "containing representation from the Board and Volunteers to provide support to the management by combining the wide experience of our volunteer and paid workforce with the objective of improving the performance and corporate governance of the Railway."
In 2022 two roles were created.[4]
- Steam engineering based at Bridgnorth covering: Bridgnorth Loco Works, boiler shop, running shed, machine shop, operational fleet of SVRSevern Valley Railway steam locos and Bridgnorth yard; ESMPEngineering Services, Motive Power. contract engineering; Bridgnorth pattern shop; and budgetary control of Bewdley MPDMotive Power Depot
- Traction and rolling stock engineering based at Kidderminster covering: carriage and wagon, Kidderminster carriage works, Kidderminster carriage shed, Bewdley carriage overhauls, Bewdley wagon repairs, Bridgnorth carriage and wagon; diesel traction across the SVRSevern Valley Railway and Bewdley machine shop.
Since the early 2010s, the SVRSevern Valley Railway had rented the Graham Hill Building in nearby Station Lane to accommodate the ESMPEngineering Services, Motive Power. offices, mess, and meeting room. These premises were vacated in June 2024 as a cost saving measure, with the ESMPEngineering Services, Motive Power. office moving into the Bridgnorth station building[5].
See also
- New and overhauled contract boilers
- Steam and diesel locomotives visiting the SVR for contract overhauls
References
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 175
- ↑ SVRSevern Valley Railway News 177
- ↑ Branch Lines November 2020
- ↑ Branch Lines August 2022
- ↑ Branch Lines June 2024, New ESMP office saves costs