First visiting locomotive confirmed for Severn Valley Railway's Spring Steam Gala
The first visiting locomotive has been confirmed for the Severn Valley Railway's Spring Steam Gala.
The BR 71000 Duke of Gloucester has been announced for the event, which runs from April 16 to 19.
This year marks 50 years since the railway had its first ever Spring Gala, in April 1976.
The appearance of Duke of Gloucester is expected to be one of the major highlights of the event.
The locomotive is unique as the only BR Class 8P express passenger engine ever built and is renowned for its remarkable survival-against-the-odds after withdrawal and near-scrapping in the early 1960s.
Following the completion of its third major overhaul last year, 71000 visited the SVR in mid-2025 for a series of test and loaded running-in turns, ahead of a return to public service.
SVR managing director Gus Dunster said: “It’s an honour for the Severn Valley Railway to be chosen as the first heritage railway to host Duke of Gloucester since its overhaul, and we’re very grateful to the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust and Locomotive Services Group for agreeing to its visit to our Spring Steam Gala.
"‘Unique’ is an often over-used word, but 71000 genuinely deserves it. It’s the sole example of its type ever built, and the odds against it surviving into preservation were absolutely overwhelming. Yet here it is, and we know it will be a huge attraction for our visitors.
“It’s especially pleasing for us to host 71000, as the current Duke of Gloucester, HRH Prince Richard, is the SVR’s Patron, and takes a keen interest in everything we do. The locomotive was named after his father.”
Built at Crewe Works in 1954, Duke of Gloucester was the final and most advanced expression of British Railways’ steam locomotive design, incorporating three cylinders and Caprotti valve gear.
Intended as a prototype for a new generation of express engines, it instead became a one-off after the Government’s Modernisation Plan brought steam development to an abrupt end.
Withdrawn in 1962 and sold for scrap, the locomotive survived thanks to a determined preservation effort that saw it restored from an incomplete and deteriorated condition.
Its eventual return to steam became one of the most significant achievements in the preservation movement and helped demonstrate what could be achieved with commitment and engineering expertise.
Following a 13-year overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works, Duke of Gloucester has now re-emerged incorporating refinements intended to deliver the performance originally envisaged by its designer.
Trevor Tuckley, chairman of the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust, said: “One of our aims is to present Duke of Gloucester to as wide an audience as possible, and the SVR’s Spring Steam Gala represents a premium opportunity to do that. The latest overhaul has carried out the improvements Robert Riddles would have done if he had been allowed the time. We are keen to see Duke of Gloucester put through his paces on the Valley.”
Duke of Gloucester will appear alongside SVR home-fleet locomotives including GWR locos 813, 1450, 4150 (recently returned to steam), 4930 Hagley Hall, 7714, 7802 Bradley Manor, LMS 13268 and BR Standard 4MT 75069.
More guest announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
Tickets, including money-saving multi-day rover tickets, are available at svr.co.uk.