Crewe-based Class 47 No. 47712 ‘Lady Diana Spencer’ is set to visit the Severn Valley Railway for its Spring Diesel Festival.

A first for any heritage railway, 47712 is set to visit the gala along with its push-pull DBSO coaches.

Taking place between the 18th and 21st May, the gala will see 47712, and previously announced 58023 run alongside the homefleet of locos.

Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster, the SVR’s interim managing director said: “Bringing together 47712 and the DBSO push-pull coaches is yet another heritage railway first for the Severn Valley Railway, and we’re extremely grateful to Locomotive Services Group for providing both locomotive and coaches for our Spring Diesel Festival.

“Our four-day celebration this year to mark 50 years of diesel preservation is going to bring together an unrivalled collection of diesel locomotives, both preserved and currently in main line operation. I can guarantee that no-one will have ever seen anything like this before. We’re aiming for up to 13 classes of heritage locos plus an enviable range of modern diesel types. It’s going to be unmissable!”

Tickets for the four-day, intensively-timetabled Spring Diesel Festival are available now at svr.co.uk, including money-saving multi-day tickets. The SVR says it will announce further guests in due course.