From then on preservation gained momentum until the present day. Bridgnorth became the engineering centre of the new SVR because of the need to repair the growing numbers of rolling stock items and locomotives after opening to the public when the first train steamed from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade in May 1970.
Preservation has grown since then until today. Bridgnorth became the engineering core for the new SVR because of the necessity to repair an increasing number of rolling stock items and locomotives after opening to the public when the first train traveled from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade in May 1970.