Severn Valley Railway Association

The Severn Valley Railway Association (SVRA) website now carries the simple message

16 October 1971

to

04 October 2015

In May 1971 Sir Gerald Nabarro proposed to establish a public company to finance the purchase of the southern section of the line. He also proposed to wind up the original Severn Valley Railway Company (the Guarantee Company) in which the individual members had a direct interest.

In response, the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association was formed at a meeting on 17 July 1971, and formally came into existence at a General Meeting on 16 October 1971. The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association was an unincorporated body, whose principal objects as agreed at the October meeting were:

• To safeguard the interests of the members of the Severn Valley Railway Company Limited
• To do everything possible to promote the efficient organisation, financial standing and growth of the Severn Valley Railway.

The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association successfully proposed resolutions in 1972 against actions that members saw as threatening the interests of the railway. The floatation of the public company proceeded, and that company is now SVR(H). However the Guarantee Company remained in existence, as it was not possible at the time to transfer the existing LROLight Railway Order to the new public company. Individual SVRSevern Valley Railway members therefore retained a say in the workings of the SVRSevern Valley Railway through the Guarantee Company.

Despite the continuation of the Guarantee Company, the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association also remained in existence and assumed a particular responsibility for representing the views of the working members. Representatives of both organisations sat on the Board of Directors of SVRSevern Valley Railway(H).

There was a growing overlap in the roles of the two organisations, and around 2014 proposals were put in hand to merge them. These proposals were agreed at the respective AGMs in 2015, following which the merger formally took place in October 2015.

SVRASevern Valley Railway Association raffles

The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association organised regular raffles for projects on the railway. An incomplete list is shown below:

• Bridgnorth Turntable - a bid was accepted in February 1998, aided by a successful SVRASevern Valley Railway Association (Kidderminster Branch) raffle and fund-raising campaign.
• In 2008 a raffle raised a record net total of almost £16,000 toward the boiler work on GWR Large Prairie 4150.
• In 2009 a raffle was held in aid of 47383's firebox repairs.
• The proceeds of the Autumn 2009 raffle went to the Diesel Depot.
• In November 2013 the SVRASevern Valley Railway Association announced a plan to convert GWR 118 Tool/Riding Van into flexible family-friendly volunteer overnight accommodation.

SVRASevern Valley Railway Association branches

The SVRASevern Valley Railway Association formed local branches from the early days of the railway which provide support to the SVRSevern Valley Railway through their activities. Branches merged into the Guarantee Company in October 2015.

• Extant branches are Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, Stourbridge and Macclesfield.
• Closed branches include London and Bristol.

See also

SVR Current organisation

References