SVR 46443 Fund

The SVRSevern Valley Railway 46443 Locomotive Fund (commonly referred to as the SVRSevern Valley Railway 46443 Fund) was created in 1983 to purchase LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443, and is the current owner of the locomotive. The locomotive had initially been purchased from BRBritish Rail or British Railways by Richard Willcox in 1967 as one of the first two locomotives on the line, and then bought by the the SVR(H) in 1972.

In 1983, SVRSevern Valley Railway(H) announced that it had sold 46443 as part of the deal to bring 45690 Leander to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, and the locomotive was to leave the Railway. The Fund was launched to 'buy back' the locomotive, during which time it gained the nickname 'The People's Engine'. A part of the successful fund-raising entailed the sale of T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "46443 The People's Engine". Part of the proceeds of the summer 1984 SVRA raffle were also earmarked to help the fund. The Fund acquired the locomotive in Autumn 1984, and 46443 never left..

The Fund is an unincorporated body. It has no website, social media accounts or other public presence. In April 2022 it asked all its shareholders to contact the Fund, as many shareholders had moved since the locomotive was purchased and the Fund held only a small number of email addresses. In 2023 the committee announced an intention to convert in due course to a simple charity.

See also

List of preservation groups