THE Spa Valley Railway celebrated its 25th anniversary over the bank holiday weekend August 26-29 (RM August p79).
The railway opened between Tunbridge Wells West (TWW) and Groombridge on August 23, 1997, previously having only operated push-pull trains from TWW to Cold Bath Bridge from December 1996. It opened through to Eridge in 2011.
Two visiting steam locos, SR Bulleid Pacific No. 34092 City of Wells and BR ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 No. 75069 were joined by resident ‘ED’ Class 73/1 No. 73140 (E6047) and a pair of BR Derby Sulzer Type 2s, Class 24 D5054 (24054) Phil Southern from the East Lancashire Railway, and Class 25 No. D7612 (25262) from the South Devon Railway. This was originally going to be No. D7535 (25185), but that was not available in time for the August 12-14 diesel gala.
No. D7612 was not originally rostered for the anniversary event but worked the turns booked for the long-term visiting 0-6-0, Caledonian Railway No. 828, which had failed with a hot axlebox.