Express & Star

Locomotive steams into Severn Valley Railway station for last time before undergoing repairs - with video

Fans were able to see a locomotive in action for the final time before it spends at least a year out of service for repairs.

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Locomotive No 4566 steamed into the Bridgnorth Station of the Severn Valley Railway yesterday after 10 years of service.

The locomotive will join a queue to be serviced and will stay in The Engine House at Highley until the completion of its £300,000 overhaul.

A larger locomotive, No 75069, will be returning to to the tracks later this year.

Duncan Ballard on the controls

Nicholas Ralls of the SVR said: "It operates on its boiler certificate, so that was the last day we can use it before it has to go under overhaul again.

"It won't get overhauled straight away and another will come out later this year.

"Locomotive No 75069 will be coming out next. It's a tender engine, so it's a bit bigger. No 4566 will be in the Engine House so it stays out of the wet then, when we're ready to overhaul, it'll go into the works but that's probably not for a few years now.

"It'll probably have done over 100,000 miles in its working life, going up and down the track, it's a fair amount of mileage." There are 26 locomotives at the Severn Valley Railway, with about eight or 10 running at any time.

Mr Ralls added: "They're all different shapes and sizes. When one drops out there's another to go in so it's a big cycle.

"The ones with the names tend to stick in people's heads more, the ones with the numbers are the unsung heroes, lugging up and down the track every day."

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