[60134]

Many of the Brits on this forum will be aware of the severe damage caused to the Severn Valley on Tuesday 19.06.07 by torrential rain and floods. The railway has always been prone to this sort of disruption but nothing has happened in recent history to compare with the wholesale devastation the railway now has to rectify. Shropshire was hit again yesterday and more chaos resulted.

The SVR is now only open between Kidderminster and Bewdley and it will be at least a month (weather permitting!) before services can be restored to Arley - Bridgnorth may not see through trains again this year.

As Britain's premier line it behoves us all to do our bit to ensure that the route is restored. I 'phoned them up and donated the equivalent of two returns over the length of the line - why don't you take a "virtual" trip this week? To view the damage and make a donation follow this link:

http://www.svr.co.uk/appeal.php

I hasten to add that I am not a member of the railway or in any way connected with it.

60134

 

[Doug]

Very tragic this. It seems that the rain is not done yet.

 

[pedromorgan]

My parents live in tenbury wells which was flooded last night.

My heart goes out to the SVR. i wish there was more i could do to help.

Peter

 

[7113]

I have every sympathy with the repair teams at the SVR. I really think they have their work cut out to get these repairs done. I also suspect that the thought at the back of their minds will be if we repair it will it happen again? I for one hope not.

I shall be making a donation.

Regards

John

 

[60134]

Alas the SVR had a similar washout a few years ago - much of the ground on which the railway is built is slowly slipping towards the river... The railway has now added two QuickTime movie clips to the appeal that really illustrate the extent of a couple of the problems. The road in the second shot has no tarmac left on it!

The water in Tenbury is receding at the moment but tomorrow's forecast is appalling. In Ludlow one of the main road bridges over the Corve has collapsed and they are working like crazy to prevent a dam bursting near Rotherham.

Flaming June?

60134

 

[7113]

QUOTE (60134 @ 26 Jun 2007, 14:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The water in Tenbury is receding at the moment but tomorrow's forecast is appalling. In Ludlow one of the main road bridges over the Corve has collapsed and they are working like crazy to prevent a dam bursting near Rotherham.

Flaming June?

60134

Well it was the Glastonbury festival at the weekend, and it is Wimbledon fortnight.......................but in all seriousness the situation is very frightening. I am lucky I live 200 metres from a 30 metre cliff but even my kitchen flooded last week.

Regards

John

 

[goedel]

QUOTE (BRITHO @ 26 Jun 2007, 14:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am lucky I live 200 metres from a 30 metre cliff but even my kitchen flooded last week.
I hope you live uphill from the cliff top John! It seems a shame that the Severn Valley is being washed away but I would have thought the 'permanent way' meant just that...I had fun on the SVR as a small Thomas the Tank addict and I hope they can resist the subsidence.

I'm actually enjoying the weather of late, (except lethal flooding obviously) because the heatwave last year was just unpleasant for those without air conditioned workplaces. And at least more modelling (or rather planning for modelling!) gets done.

Goedel

 

[ebaykal]

Very sad indeed. What is becoming of the world?

We are out, like indians, dancing around the totem pole for just a tiny bitsy drop of rain. Dams are half full and if it continues like this we might have a serious water shortage this summer.

I arrived home just now and the car reading was 35 degrees celcius and there is yet July/August to come?

Never have we seen these degrees in June in Istanbul.

Baykal

 

[dwb]

For anyone else like me who finds it difficult to make phone calls during working hours which is exactly the hours the donation phone line is open for, the SVR now have the "Online Donation" button working. I tried in vain for several weeks at the beginning but then forgot. I've put that right now.

Don't be put off by the first window that opens, this collects name, address etc but your credit card details are not required until the second window which is hosted by a well known high street bank and shows the security padlock etc.

The initial estimate of £1m has now risen to £2.5m but a good amount of money has been raised already.

David

 

[ozwarrior]

I noticed today on the EWS site that they are pitching in to help.

http://www.ews-railway.co.uk/cmsystem/news...2-6120F3BB2C88}

Good to see such co-operation and all the best to the Severn Valley.

Ebaykal: Brisbane's dams are approaching 15% and if it doesn't rain this summer SE Queensland is scr*wed!

 

[Gary]

I visited the Severn Valley Railway today at Bridgnorth and there is definitely a wartime spirit around the place with all the staff doing what they can to raise funds. They are running a "Steam Train Withdrawal Symptoms Special" out of Bridgnorth operating with two LMS "Royal Scot" coaches but only as far as the bypass bridge. This does mean that a steam train is pulling out of or returning to Bridgnorth station every 3 minutes so plenty of steam action at the station. It was great to stand on top of the bridge and breath in every time the train passed under. We all do that though don't we!

The Class 08 was in the engine shed shunting various steam trains just to keep their joints working. A very large proportion of the steam fleet is trapped at Bridgnorth.

The regular steam action did make it a perfect day as we could relax on a station bench in the sun outside The Railwayman's Arms (part of the station building at the south end) drinking cool lager whilst watching the steam train chuffing in and out of the station every 4 minutes. Anybody who is stuck for something to do this week might wish to consider following my example!

Happy modelling
Gary

PS here is a link to the latest flood damage news:-

Severn Valley Railway flood damage news

 

[60134]

Thanks for the update Gary. The main problem the line faces with motive power is that they cannot get the larger locos out of the Bridgnorth site much of their day to day maintenance is carried out there....

60134

 

[dwb]

It has been reported today by the BBC that public donations have now reached £415,000 pounds. Other funds will come from various development agency funds but with an estimated total cost of £2.5m there is still a long way to go.

You can read the full story here on the BBC website

David

 

[dwb]

The railway will be reopened to passengers along its entire length tomorrow (Friday March 21st). There's a short article here on the BBC website.

David

 

[7113]

Congratulations to all concerned.........

Regards