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The SVR's first two main line passenger diesels, BR Class 52 [[BR Class 52 D1013 Western Ranger| D1013 Western Ranger]] and [[BR Class 52 D1062 Western Courier|D1062 Western Courier]], arrived on the SVR on 29 September 1978. The original draft locomotive agreement envisaged that they would be based at [[Bridgnorth]] and operated on special "Western" weekends and certain other occasions, although they would not normally replace steam on scheduled SVR trains.<ref>SVR News 48</ref>
1979 duly saw two "'''Western Weekends'''" on 31 March-1 April and 20-21 October, although the use of the Western's Westerns was described as being "…in the spare paths between the two service trains". The same year also saw the introduction of a "Great Western Weekend" in June.<ref group="note">The Great Western Weekend became the "Summer Steam Gala" after 1984.</ref> From 1980 onwards the diesel events were renamed "'''Western Diesel Weekends'''", presumably to avoid any possibility of confusion with the steam event.
The Spring 1980 Weekend was curtailed by a major slip at [[Folly Point]], resulting in only one "Weekend" taking place in October. During the next "Weekend" in March 1981, one of Western Courier's Maybach engines seized, resulting in the locomotive being out of service for the following events in October 1981, April and October 1982.
