The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has revealed that its forthcoming Autumn Steam Gala will be the first chance for enthusiasts to see guest locomotive 11456 in its brand-new LMS livery.
11456 is a saddle tank engine, originally built by Beyer Peacock in 1881. The loco was designed by Barton Wright as a 0-6-0 tender engine for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. It was rebuilt at Horwich in 1896 as a 0-6-0 saddle tank to an Aspinall design. The rebuild was carried out because there was an increasing need for shunting locomotives.
It was re-numbered 11456 by the LMS after Grouping in 1923.
The loco will appear at the SVR gala on loan from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Trust and the East Lancashire Railway. It has recently been repainted and varnished into what the SVR calls its “authentic identity” as LMS 11456.
The loco’s first public appearance in this livery will be at the SVR’s gala from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 September.
Other locomotives starring in the enthusiasts’ event include:
- Black Five 44932, a rare visit to a heritage line for a locomotive usually in service on the main line
- 45596 ‘Bahamas’
- home-based locomotives 13268, 4930, 7714 and 75069.
The gala’s intensive timetable will feature early morning and late evening running, double headers and goods trains, and will include local services to Eardington, the SVR’s smallest station.
Displays will include:
- narrow gauge engine ‘Douglas’ from the Talyllyn Railway at The Engine House, Highley
- the RailArt 2024 exhibition at Kidderminster Railway Museum.
Further details and tickets are available from the SVR website.
Two weeks after its Steam Gala, the SVR will welcome visitors to its Autumn Diesel Gala.
“Quite simply, it [LMS 11456] looks stunning. We can’t wait to see it paired with our beautiful set of vintage LMS carriages at the Autumn Steam Gala. It’s going to an historic moment, as this is something that hasn’t been seen for more than 80 years!
“Alongside our own Stanier Mogul, No 13268, it’s going to be quite the sight! This really is shaping up to be a fabulous event.”
SVR managing director, Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster
Responses
I understand that it was not scrapped because it was sold to a colliery near Wigan. I remember seeing it when I was on a train passing the colliery siding in about 1955. It still had its LMS number and was in a somewhat decrepit state. However, it survived!