Our Marketing Volunteer, Will, shares his highlights and first impressions from experiencing the Spring Diesel Festival for the very first time.

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is celebrating the success of its Spring Diesel Festival 2025, which ran from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 May.

With more than 3,000 visitors attending the line across the four days, the event proved to be a resounding success – despite the operational challenge of a shortened running line, due to the embankment collapse near Bridgnorth.

Running between Kidderminster and Highley, the SVR delivered “another headline event” according to Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster, SVR’s Managing Director, as the event managed to “showcase the best of both worlds”. Alongside a vast and diverse lineup of diesel locomotives, a packed timetable and a multitude of events up and down the line, it made for an unmissable event.

Diesel Highlights: A Balanced Roster of Heritage and Modern Power
The line-up this year for the Spring Diesel Festival was certainly impressive with the SVR bringing together a mix of heritage favourites, impressive freight power and locomotives that have rarely been seen together, offering something for every type of diesel appreciator.

Among the visiting traction were:
• Freightliner Class 66 66509– which took part in a naming ceremony at Kidderminster to be officially named “Freightliner Retirement Association”
• Freightliner Class 70 No. 70020
• Class 56s Nos. 56094 and 56113 (Colas Rail)
• Class 69 No. 69014 (GB Railfreight)
• WCRC Class 37 No. 37706
• Class 57 No. 57003 (Locomotive Services Group)
• Class 58 58023
• Rail Adventure Powercars Nos. 43468 and 43480

The SVR home fleet was out in full force too, with appearances from Class 17 D8568, Class 20s, 20142 & 20189, Class 33 33108, Class 37 37263, Class 40 40106, Class 42 D821, Class 46 46045, Class 50s, Class 52 D1015, and Class 52 D1062.

There was also a re-dedication ceremony for 50033 ‘Glorious’ at Kidderminster Station on the Saturday, where a crowd watched a ceremony for remembrance of the 85th anniversary of the HMS Glorious back on 8 June 1940. Representatives of the HMS Glorious, HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta Association (GLARAC), the Royal Navy and Worcester Sea Cadets joined to remember the 1207 lives lost when the aircraft carrier was sunk in the Norwegian sea, whilst evacuating British aircraft from Norway along with her two escorting destroyers, HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta which were also sunk.

The Beer Festival at Kidderminster Station: Sip, Sip, Hooray
One of the most talked-about features of the Spring Diesel Festival was the major beer festival hosted by The King & Castle at Kidderminster station. Hosted in the heritage pub, people savoured a selection of around 20 locally brewed real ales and 4 types of ciders.

The Travelling Tavern, a vintage carriage-turned-mobile bar, ploughed up and down the line, serving pints to a steady stream of visitors. It proved ever-popular, when on Friday and Saturday, the option for a Curry and a Pint for the incredibly good price of £10 was taken advantage of by many visitors, who enjoyed a proper pub-on-the-platform vibe.

Cab Rides and Footplate Experiences
At Bridgnorth station there was much to do despite the embankment collapse that fell at the start of the year. The opportunity to ride in the cab of a working locomotive was another major highlight, as Class 08 Shunter D3586 offered the extremely rare chance to experience life from the cab. This elusive 67-year-old locomotive rarely travels with passengers, so for people to ride along with the driver and second man for just over a mile was certainly a unique experience.

Behind the Scenes at Kidderminster
The Kidderminster Diesel Depot (or Traction Maintenance Depot – TMD) and Carriage Shed were open for guided tours throughout the four-day festival. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the railway gave visitors a rare look at the inner workings of the SVR’s diesel fleet.

Tours were given of the 1,000-square-foot depot, which features two locomotive inspection pits, lifting jacks and a 10-tonne overhead travelling crane, where volunteers gave in-depth explanations of what everything is and how it works. These tours proved to be popular with many younger people and families who were seeing the hidden aspect of running an active heritage railway for the first time.

A Look to the Future: Autumn Diesel Bash 2025
With the success of the Spring Diesel Festival still fresh in the minds of visitors and volunteers, attention now turns to the SVR’s next major diesel event: the Autumn Diesel Bash, scheduled for Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 October 2025. The gala event promises a mighty fine four days, as we celebrate 65 years of Class 37.