SOLE-SURVIVING IVATT ‘Flying Pig’ No. 43106 ran for the final time under its current boiler ‘ticket’ at the Severn Valley Railway’s Winter Steam Gala on January 6/7.
The enthusiast favourite ‘4MT’ 2 ‐ 6‐0 was arguably the star of the show at the gala, a new addition to the SVR’s events calendar that attracted over 2,500 visitors and generated twice the hoped-for revenue. Preserved directly after being withdrawn from BR service at Lostock Hall in June 1968, No. 43106 is a Severn Valley stalwart, having hauled services on the railway’s official reopening day in May 1970. After over 20 years on the sidelines, the ‘Flying Pig’ has been in almost continual service on the SVR since autumn 2009, aside from January-July 2013, when it underwent an intermediate overhaul, after which it returned with a fresh ‘boiler’ ticket. Its final train was the 5.30pm departure from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth on the Sunday, after which its fire was dropped. No. 43106 “will remain at the SVR in storage, and will join the queue for restoration. We don’t have any further details at the moment,” said an SVR spokesperson.
Taking No. 43106’s place in the SVR’s operational roster is newly overhauled Stanier ‘Mogul’ No. 2968, which made its first gala appearance at the event. Returned to steam for the first time since 2012 in October (SR551), the 1934-built 2 ‐ 6‐0 has since run temporarily as No. 2968; following the gala, it will enter the paintshop for transformation into its as-built guise as No. 13268.
Also bowing out alongside No. 43106 was rebuilt ‘West Country’ Taw Valley, which made its final public runs in its inauthentic Southern wartime black guise as No. 21C127 at the gala. The Bulleid ‘Pacific’ has now been withdrawn for a piston-and-valve exam and intermediate overhaul, after which it will return to its historically accurate BR guise as No. 34027.
Completing the line-up were ‘Manor’ No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor, making its first runs on the SVR following its season on loan to the West Somerset Railway, ‘57XX’ 0 ‐ 6‐0PT No. 7714 – which worked local services between Bridgnorth and Highley, calling at Eardington, and Highley and Bewdley – and BR Standard ‘4MT’ No. 75069. The Riddles 4 ‐ 6‐0 was originally only scheduled to operate on the Sunday, but ended up working on both days following th
