The Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Steam Gala, held from 16–19 April, proved to be one of the busiest and most memorable enthusiast events in recent years, delighting visitors with a spectacular mix of power, personality and performance.
Glorious spring sunshine, strong visitor numbers and an eye‑catching line‑up of locomotives combined to make the 2026 Spring Steam Gala a standout success for the Severn Valley Railway.
Among the highlights were visiting locomotives Port of Par Judy and LMS ‘Pug’ 11243, whose diminutive proportions and hardworking charm won over crowds as they operated an intensive shuttle service between Bewdley and Kidderminster throughout the gala. Their presence offered a striking and highly photogenic contrast with the event’s headline attraction, BR 71000 Duke of Gloucester, one of the most powerful express passenger locomotives ever built in Britain.
While 71000 represented the zenith of British steam power, Judy sits at the opposite end of the scale as one of the smallest standard‑gauge steam locomotives in preservation. Together, they perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the Spring Steam Gala, and proved that, on the Severn Valley Railway, size really doesn’t matter.
SVR managing director Gus Dunster paid tribute to the railway’s staff and volunteers who made the event possible.
“Thanks to everyone across the railway who has been involved in planning and delivering yet another successful and memorable event,” he said. “It was fantastic to see the sheer enthusiasm and enjoyment on the faces of visitors and SVR people alike.”
The gala attracted very strong attendances, with buoyant advance bookings further boosted by healthy on‑the‑day sales, helped in no small part by the fine weather. Although the sun dominated proceedings, some rain before and during the event had a beneficial side‑effect, significantly reducing the risk of lineside fires and allowing the intensive timetable to be delivered largely as planned.
“This was one of the busiest galas I’ve seen,” said Gus. “The great weather certainly helped, but our enthusiast events remain the benchmark for the sector.”
A varied and engaging timetable gave visitors plenty to enjoy, while also retaining enough flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. As with any complex heritage operation, some delays inevitably occurred, but the majority were recovered by the end of each running day.
As the Spring Steam Gala concluded, the Severn Valley Railway again demonstrated why its enthusiast events are held in such high regard, combining operational ambition, visual spectacle, and the passion of its people to deliver an experience that will be fondly remembered by all who attended.
The next enthusiast event at the SVR is the Spring Diesel Festival which takes place between 14-17 May, and there’s a brand-new event on the calendar later in the year, with the first Summer Gala event running on the weekend of 18-19 July.
Image credit: Severn Valley Railway
