Severn Valley Railway Spring Steam Gala
A family favourite – Severn Valley Railway.
The annual Spring Steam Gala returns to kick-off our main season! 2026 marks a remarkable 50 years since our very first Spring Steam Gala, way back in April 1976, so we’ve got plenty of exciting things planned.
What to expect at the Spring Steam Gala? Our four day festival of steam will feature both guest and home-fleet locomotives operating a busy timetable between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. If you love steam, this is the place to be! Ride behind every locomotive, visit The Engine House at Highley to break your day, or sample the finest real-ales in our pubs, as you experience the Severn Valley at its steamiest!
Our first guest locomotive has been announced as BR 71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’, thanks to BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust and Locomotive Services. The locomotive is a British Railways Standard Class 8P built at Crewe works in 1954. Designed by Robert Riddles to work the heavy express trains between Euston and Scotland, ‘Duke of Gloucester’ was a prototype for the BR Standard Class 8 express passenger locomotives but was the only one of the class ever to be built.
Our final guest locomotives are Port of Par ‘Judy’ and LMS Pug 11243. The pair will operate an intensive shuttle service between Bewdley and Kidderminster throughout the gala, including some double-headed appearances that promise plenty of character in a surprisingly compact package. Their presence of the two guest locos offers a striking contrast to the mighty BR 71000 Duke of Gloucester, already confirmed as the event’s star attraction. While 71000 is one of the most powerful express passenger locomotives ever built in Britain, Judy is among the smallest standard gauge steam locomotives in preservation; proof that at the SVR Spring Steam Gala, size really doesn’t matter. LMS 11243 appears with thanks to the East Lancashire Railway and Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust, and ‘Judy’ with thanks to the Bodmin Railway.
Read more about Severn Valley Railways Spring Steam Gala here.
Find more local events with Raring2go! here, included more at Severn Valley Railway.
