BR Standard 2 No. 78018 is to visit the Severn Valley Railway for their Spring Steam Gala.
The Spring Steam Gala, taking place between the 14th and 16th April 2023, will feature an intensive timetable.
The locomotive visits thanks to its owners, The Darlington Railway Preservation Society, its custodians, The Loughborough Standard Locomotives Group, and its home railway, the Great Central Railway.
78018 was built in 1953 at Darlington, running with BR until 1966, and will run at the GWR-themed event, with home fleet members 4930 Hagley Hall, 7812 Erlestoke Manor, 7714, 34027 Taw Valley (as 21C127), 43106 as well as visiting locomotives 4079 Pendennis Castle, and 4555.
“This is a solid branch line loco,” said Duncan Ballard, the SVR's head of steam engineering. “It brings a more modern twist to our event, in comparison with another of our guests, GWR Small Prairie 4555. It's going to give us some variety and interest on our smaller formation services.
“These are economical and modern locomotives which are very at home on the SVR, and with 78018's last BR shed being Shrewsbury, our Gala sees the loco returning to Shropshire after a number of years away.”
For more information and to book tickets, please visit svr.co.uk
78018 was the loco featured in the BTF film of 1955 Snowdrift At Bleath Gill after it became stuck in a Snowdrift near Stainmore Summit and had to be dug out by hand