The Severn Valley Railway’s newly repainted ‘purple locomotive’ will be on public display at Bridgnorth station over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Its stunning purple livery has been created in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and the loco’s tender carries the Platinum Jubilee logo. The loco formerly known as 34027 ‘Taw Valley’ has been renumbered as ‘70’ in recognition of the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.

Nameplates carrying the loco’s new name ‘Elizabeth II’ will be affixed for an official ceremony at the SVR on Thursday 2^nd June, at the beginning of the railway’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Visitors to Bridgnorth station can view the loco up to and including Easter Monday, 18^th April. It’s standing on road 3 in the locomotive yard, and there’s a clear view from platform 2 and the footbridge.

“Now that the new livery is complete, we simply couldn’t keep this to ourselves any longer,” said SVR managing director Helen Smith. “We hope that seeing the purple loco ‘in the flesh’ over the Easter weekend will whet people’s appetites to come back and see it in steam.

“We’ll be officially renaming the loco as ‘Elizabeth II’ on Thursday 2nd June when it will receive its specially commissioned nameplates.

“When you see it up close, it really is something special!”

Tickets for travel on the railway are pre-bookable at svr.co.uk and can be bought from booking offices on the day of travel. Tickets for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee event are on sale now at svr.co.uk.