Severn Valley Railway confirms sale of 'Black Five' locomotive

A heritage railway has confirmed it has sold one of its popular locomotives to help secure its financial future.

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR), which operates a line between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, has sold its LMS 'Black Five' 45110 to an unnamed buyer.

It recently launched a £1.5m Survival Fund appeal amid rising costs.

A spokesperson for SVR said funds received from the locomotive's sale would play an "important part" in securing its finances.

Managers said the railway would not have been in a position to consider the locomotive's "expensive" restoration in the future, expected to cost in the region of £1m.

The SVR, which attracts 250,000 passengers a year, had announced redundancies in February due to falling visitor numbers and escalating running costs.

An appeal to raise the money for the railway's Survival Fund has so far raised £400,000.

Built in 1935, the LMS Stanier Class Five 45110 was one of the last steam locomotives to be used by British Railways, but has not been in use since 2008.

Following stints on display, it has spent four years in storage in a carriage shed in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

Chris Walton, chairman of SVR (Holdings) Plc, said the sale had increased the chances of the locomotive being restored in the future.

"We know that some people may be upset that this particular locomotive has left the SVR," he said.

"However, it's clear that selling it was absolutely the right thing to do," he said, adding that it was in the "best interests" of both the railway and the locomotive.

The SVR previously sold off the Leander 45690 and Galatea 45699 locomotives in 1994 and is considering sales of other surplus stock.

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