© Geoff’s Rail Diaries 2011 The annual Santa trains on the Severn Valley Railway are a a photographer's delight - frequent service of heavy trains, and no heads hanging out of windows - if it ever stops raining, that is. These photos were taken in December 1986, on a couple of days when the sky cleared, leading to clear, calm frosty days, when the steam hung in the air. (I didn't record the dates - and until I scanned the slides for this page, I thought they had all been taken the same day - then I realised there's a half moon in one of the pictures, and a full moon in another...) We start at Kidderminster, with a couple of pictures of 75069 and 4566 leaving, then move to Foley Park, where 43106 is seen approaching the tunnel with a train returning from Santa's Grotto at Arley. Next we see 75069 again, returning from Arley, followed by 4566 doing likewise. Leaving Foley park, I then took one or two more pictures along Northwood Lane, as the light faded. The sun's ray were dying rapidly when 4566 came through with one more train for Arley - the waxing half-moon can just be seen top right. A week later, then rising moon was full when 4566 steamed out of Foley Park Tunnel, followed a few minutes later by 75069 with a returning trip. Link: Severn Valley Railway