GWR 813 Preservation Fund

The GWR 813 Preservation Fund is an organisation that was founded in 1966 to acquire, restore and preserve Port Talbot Railway No. 26 (GWR 813). It is based on the Severn Valley Railway.
==History:==
The Fund was formed in 1966 to purchase the last-known surviving Port Talbot Railway (No. 26, later GWR 813) steam locomotive from the National Coal Board. They purchased GWR 813 in 1967 and it was moved from Backworth Colliery the same year, later moving to the Severn Valley Railway. They are now currently based at the Severn Valley Railway and have a sales stand at Kidderminster.
===GWR 813:===
Their locomotive, Port Talbot Railway No. 26, is their prized possession. No. 26 was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1901 along with five other locomotives. Withdrawn in 1933, then sold to Robert Stephenson & Company in 1934. Later sold to Backworth Colliery and re-numbered 12. Became NCB 11 in 1950. The newly-formed GWR 813 Preservation Fund were looking to purchase this locomotive, it being the last of its kind. Offered for £320, then sold to the Preservation Fund in 1967. It was displayed as a static exhibit at the Rail 150 Celebrations in 1975. Mechanical faults prevented the locomotive from being fully operational for over a decade, although it steamed on a few occasions.
The trust fund got their locomotive fully operational in July 2000, when it was the only one in service at the time, at the time that many locomotives were reported to have boiler issues. After it was overhauled, from 2001 to 2009 the locomotive visited several heritage lines including Didcot, Dean Forest, Pontypool & Blaenavon, WSR, South Devon Rly, Vale of Glamorgan, etc.
==Owned stock:==
The GWR 813 Preservation Fund bought a covered van in 1968 to store parts for their locomotive, this was followed by the fund's interest in purchasing more ex-GWR stock. Today they own four coaches, and over 100 wagons of many types, in the collection is the only surviving ex-Brecon and Merthyr Railway open wagon.
===Locomotives:===
Number & Name 	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
Port Talbot Railway No. 26 (GWR No. 813)	Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1901. Acquired in 1967. Operational. Returned to traffic in November 2016. The oldest locomotive in operation on the SVR. (Boiler ticket expires in 2026).
===Carriages===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
98 	Hawksworth Full Brake 'Snake' 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Purchased direct from BR following withdrawal from service in 1977.
215 	Dean 4-Wheeled 1st/2nd Composite	Gwili Railway 	 	Built in 1900. Acquired in 1985.
1146 	Collett Corridor Third 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1938. Operational. Part of ex-Swindon test train.
4872 	Collett Corridor Third Bow Ended	South Devon Railway 	 	Built in 1927. Acquired in 1984. Moved from the Severn Valley Railway in 2008.
===Brown (passenger rated) vehicles:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
55 	Breakdown Riding Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1908. Acquired in 1973.
66 	Breakdown Tool Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1921. Acquired in 1985. Currently being used by the Barry Railway Carriage Trust as their sales vehicle.
594 	'Monster' Scenery Van 	South Devon Railway 	 	Built in 1920. Acquired 1999.
2303 	Fruit Van 	Severn Valley Railway	200px 	Built in 1898. Acquired in 1973.
2424 	Fruit 'C' Fruit Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1911. Acquired in 1986.
2671 	'Bloater' Fish Van 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built in 1925. Acquired in 1976.
2862 	Fruit 'C' Fruit Van. 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1939. Acquired 1980. Relocated 1996 from Avon Valley Railway to GWS Didcot.
2890 	Siphon 'G' Bogie Milk Van 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1945. Acquired 1987.
2988 	Siphon 'G' Bogie Milk Van.	Dean Forest Railway 	 	Built 1945. Acquired 1980. Awaiting major restoration.
58725 	Improvised Gunpowder Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1896. Acquired 1977.
105493 	'Cone' Gunpowder Van 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1924. Acquired 1976.
===Covered goods vans:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
16307 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1913. Acquired 1991.
42239 	Grain Hopper Van 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1927.
65620 	'Vanfit' Covered Goods Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1947. Acquired 1975.
65801 	'Mogo' Motor Car Van 	Severn Valley Railway	200px 	Built 1946. Acquired 1973.
93016 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1914. Acquired 1972.
93045 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	Severn Valley Railway	200px 	Built in 1914. Acquired 2008.
95353 	Covered Goods Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1916. Ex-Rutland Railway Museum.
101961 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1923. Acquired 1989.
103592 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built in 1923. Acquired 1987.
104621 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1924. Acquired 1971.
112889 	Mink 'G' Covered Goods Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1931. Acquired 1993.
126359 	'Mogo' Motor Car Van 	South Devon Railway 	 	Built in 1934.
126779 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1936. Acquired in 1981.
139760 	Mink 'A' Covered Goods Van 	West Somerset Railway	200px 	Built 1938. Acquired in 1991.
145428 	Covered Goods Van 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1944. Acquired 1973.
===Water & Milk Tanks:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
102 	6-Wheeled Water Tank Wagon 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1946. Acquired 1996.
2016 	6-Wheeled Milk Tank Wagon 	South Devon Railway 	 	Built 1931. Acquired 1994. Originally 4-wheeled for United Dairies.
2501 	'Rotank' 6-Wheeled Road Milk Tank Flat Wagon	Evesham 	 	Built 1932. First such vehicle built by GWR.
2504 	6-Wheeled Milk Tank Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1932. Acquired 1995.
3018 	6-Wheeled Milk Tank Wagon 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1946. Acquired 1994.
===Fruit Vans:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
82554 	Fruit 'B' Banana Van	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1908. Acquired 1991.
105565 	Fruit 'B' Banana Van	Evesham. 	 	Built in 1929. Acquired 1990. Body and underframe only.
===Meat Vans:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
105860 	Mica 'B' Refrigerated Meat Van	Didcot Railway Centre 	 	Built 1925. Acquired 1976.
105873 	Mica 'B' Refrigerated Meat Van	Severn Valley Railway.	 	Built 1925. Acquired 1973.
105916 	Mica 'B' Refrigerated Meat Van	South Devon Railway 	 	Built 1925. Acquired 1978.
===Open Goods Wagons:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
10931 	Open 'A' 5-Plank Open Goods Wagon	Avon Valley Railway 	200px 	Built 1913. Acquired 1975.
13154 	Open 'A' Open Goods Wagon. 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1913. Acquired 1975.
19818 	Open Goods Wagon 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1917. Acquired 1981.
25190 	Open Goods Wagon 	 	 	Built 1904. Acquired 1988.
41277 	4 Plank Open Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1890. Acquired 1984.
52137 	Open Goods Wagon 	Evesham 	 	Built 1892. Acquired 1996.
52243 	Open Goods Wagon 	Avon Valley Railway 	 	Built 1896. Acquired 1996.
75745 	Open Goods Wagon 	Avon Valley Railway 	 	Built 1902. Acquired 1996.
86582 	Open 'A' 5-Plank Open Wagon 	Avon Valley Railway 	200px 	Built 1912. Acquired 1975.
94059 	China Clay Open Goods Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	200px 	Built 1914. Acquired 1975.
97398 	Open 'A' 4-plank Open Goods Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1921. Acquired 1970.
98480 	Open 'A' Open Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1921. Acquired 1981.
99766 	Open 'A' 4 Plank Open Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1902. Acquired 1990. Ex-Brecon & Merthyr Railway.
99965 	Open 'C' Open Goods Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1927. Acquired 1988.
102691 	Open 'B' Open Goods Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1924. Acquired 1985.
108085 	5 plank Open Goods Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1924.
108207 	5-plank Open Goods Wagon 	South Devon Railway 	 	Acquired 1982.
117993 	Open Goods Wagon 	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1931. Acquired 1981.
135744 	Open 'A' 5-plank Open Goods Wagon	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1937. Acquired 1993.
137696 	5-plank Open Goods Wagon 	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1938. Acquired 1993.
===Brake Vans:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
17464 	'Toad' 20 Tons Goods Brake Van	Avon Valley Railway 	 	Built 1940. Acquired 1994.
114751 	'Toad' 20 Tons Goods Brake Van	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1934. Acquired 2021.
68501 	'Toad' 20 Tons Goods Brake Van	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1925. Acquired 1971.
68765 	'Toad' 20 Tons Goods Brake Van	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1939. Acquired 1988.
68784 	'Toad' 20 Tons Goods Brake Van	Avon Valley Railway 	200px 	Built 1939. Acquired February 2016.
===Crated Glass Wagon:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
41723 	Coral 'A' Plated Glass Wagon	Didcot Railway Centre	 	Built 1908. Acquired 1981. Awaiting restoration..
===Boiler Truck:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
41945 	'Crocodile G' Boiler Trolley	West Somerset Railway	 	Built 1908. Acquired 1995.
===Machinery Trucks:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
41990 	Loriot 'Y' Machinery Flat Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1939. Acquired 1994.
42138 	Machinery Flat Wagon 	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1909. Acquired 1984.
42272 	Loriot 'L' Machinery Flat Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Acquired 1981.
===Ballast Wagons:===
Number & Name	Type 	Current Location 	Photograph	Notes
30903 	Ballast Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1939. Acquired 1973.
40841 	Ballast Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1893. Acquired 1990.
60562 	Ballast Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1900. Acquired 1980.
60906 	Ballast Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1915. Acquired 1990.
80646 	Ballast Wagon	Dean Forest Railway 	 	Built 1936. Acquired 1981.
80669 	Ballast Wagon	West Somerset Railway	200px 	Built 1936. Acquired 1988.
80684 	Ballast Wagon	Severn Valley Railway	 	Built 1936. Acquired 1984.
==External links:==
*GWR 813 Fund
*GWR 813 on SVR wiki
*GWR 813 Preservation Fund on SVR wiki
Category:Preservation societies
Category:Companies
Category:United Kingdom
Category:Severn Valley Railway