The Severn Valley Railway has added Urie S15 506 to its bumper Spring Steam Gala line up. The 4-6-0 freight engine, arriving courtesy of the Mid-Hants Railway (Watercress Line), will be the first of its type to appear on the Severn Valley Railway.

In the last five years, the powerful S15 has celebrated the 100^th anniversary of its original build and, in 2019, after an 18-year restoration, it joined the fleet of seven other S15s in preservation.

The S15 will run all four days of the Gala on 21^st – 24^th April, alongside fellow guests 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley, running in ‘wartime black’ livery and 2999 ‘Lady of Legend’.

Unfortunately, the 142-year-old Terrier 2678 is no longer be available to appear at the event, because it requires urgent mechanical maintenance. The SVR hopes that the visit of this popular engine can be rescheduled later in the year.

The Spring Steam Gala offers an exciting variety of locomotives and carriages; two of the smallest home fleet engines, 813 and Welsh Guardsman, will double-head, whilst 4498 will be paired with the SVR’s fleet of Gresley teak carriages at selected times during the event.

Michael Dunn, Head of Visitor Experience at the Severn Valley Railway said: “We’ve got an unrivalled line-up for our first steam event of the year. With just a month to go, we’re making preparations for impressive carriage formations, eye-catching double-headers and an intensive timetable.”

Alongside a traditional hop-on, hop-off style Gala, the SVR has brought back multi-day rover tickets allowing passengers to book for more than one day whilst saving money against individual day prices.

The Railway will begin its 2022 season on 2^nd April with Open House Weekend, when visitors will have the opportunity for a peek behind the scenes at various workshops, signals boxes and other areas that are not usually accessible to the public. The Spring Steam Gala follows later in April and the Spring Diesel Festival takes place on 19^th-22^nd May.