Severn Valley Railway: Step Back to the 1940s weekends return

The 16-mile line and all of its stations will host a festival of forties-themed fun, with music, dancing, food, displays, vehicles, and costumed re-enactors on the 24th and 25th of June and 1st and 2nd of July.

Visitors are encouraged to dress up in 1940s outfits to get fully into the spirit.

Passengers will be able to hop on and off the exclusively steam-hauled services as they choose, catching all sorts of activities throughout the day, including speeches by Winston Churchill, 1940s singers and dancers, a wartime wedding and fun jitterbug sessions.

The railway will step back in time to the 1940s (Image: Robin Coombes)

In a Severn Valley first, throughout the June weekend, there’ll be a replica Spitfire plane on display outside The Engine House at Highley along with an iconic Merlin engine.

During the July weekend, this space will be taken up with a range of vintage fairground games such as swing boats, hook-a-duck and tin can alley.

A star attraction will be the SVR’s home-based locomotive ‘Taw Valley’. It’s been transformed from last year’s purple livery in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee into a ‘wartime black’ colour.

The former 'purple loco' in wartime black livery, and renumbered as 21C127. (Image: Dan Shorthouse)

Volunteer organiser Dave Brattan said: “We’ve already been planning our 2023 weekends for the best part of six months.

“This year we’ve focussed on adding new features that we think will delight both regular attendees and a whole new audience who fancy stepping back to the 1940s for the very first time.”

“It’s about showing people what life was like on the 1940s home front,” added fellow organiser Paul Bowler.

On the Saturday evening of both weekends, Kidderminster station will also host Big Band Shows.

Daytime and Big Band Show tickets are available now at svr.co.uk with discounts for advance and multi-day bookings.