Diesels in action in all weathers at the Severn Valley Railway Spring Diesel Festival! | 14.05.2026

Highlights from the first day of the Seven Valley Railway Spring Diesel Festival which this year features a locomotive lineup paying homage to 40 years of General Motors EMD traction in the UK, marking four decades since the pioneering Class 59 locomotives arrived in 1986.

The day began with 59001 ‘Yeoman Endeavour’ throwing the clocks back to 1988 looking resplendent, fresh from a cracking heritage paint job undertaken at Eastleigh Arlington Services to put the 59 back to its retro heritage Foster Yeoman livery, with the refreshed paint job harking back to its Foster Yeoman days reimagined for Heavy Hall Rail looking fantastic and it even included a flashback to the original US KL5A external air horn stack mounted on the cab front when it last visited the Severn Valley Railway way back in 1988, which sounded superb as it departed with the 08.10 shuttle formed of WCRC Mk1s from Kidderminster with visiting Royal DB 67006 ‘Royal Sovereign’.

Visiting Colas Grid 56049 ‘Robin of Templecombe’ missed its turns today owing to Colas driver shortage but this allowed more opportunities to enjoy the 59 in action, and later on the day WCRC 57010 was out on shuttle services and rounded off the afternoon with a special train in conjunction with an evening presentation l about last years ‘Greatest Gathering’ presentation to celebrate and reflect on the Railway 200 at Derby last year.

There were lots of other highlights with DEPGs Hymek D7018 in action, DPS 55009 ‘Alycidon’, and lots more supporting home fleet heritage diesel action with DMU drags, and Kidderminster about to make the most of its new platform extension. The weather through the day was all over the place with bright sun, followed by intermittent showers, then heavy rain sleet and hail but we took it in our stride and enjoyed all the action from day 1 of the gala! | 14.05.2026

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