No autumn gala and no Railart exhibition this year, either,
but trains are running again on the SVR. We joined the Adventurer at Bridgnorth
for a relaxing day back behind steam, and very welcome it was, too, after such
a long period of largely self-imposed restraint. The SVR was very thorough in
the arrangements it had made to reopen as safely as possible.
We were hauled by the Hawksworth tank No. 1501, introduced
to the world in the same year as I was. This small class of locomotives was
best known for removing empty stock from the platforms after the arrival of expresses
at London Paddington.
The company of good friends, a lovely valley to travel through, a leisurely timetable to stick to, a Great Western panier tank up ahead to provide the beat and a bright and breezy September day to light up the way, all gave me a timely fix of positivity and optimism. There will be more of these days. In the meantime, we must continue to be cautious and patient, and to keep our nerve.
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