SEVERN Valley Railway's popular Spring Diesel Festival is back with a bang this month.

Three days of visiting heritage and modern diesel locomotives, home-fleet action, evening running and one or two surprises are in store for visitors to the event.

Following the hugely successful, revamped event last year - which was brought forward from its previous October slot - 2017's diesel bonanza, between May 18, and May 20, brings great opportunities for visiting locomotives and, with the lighter evenings, organisers are confident that this year's event will hit the mark for fans of English Electric, Maybach and Sulzer diesel engines.

The event and theme will mark the 30th anniversary of the first SVR Diesel Gala. Since the first event in May 1987, the SVR has staged many more events, attracting an impressive array of visiting locomotives and, thirty years on, the majority of diesel locomotive classes old and new have reached the far end of the line at Bridgnorth.

Crammed with celebrations, this year's festival will also mark the 40th anniversary of the last Class 52 runs on British Railways and the 25th anniversary of the first Class 50 runs on the SVR. Locomotives of both types will be in operation at the event and also at the SVR's Mixed Traffic Day - which follows on Sunday, May 21.

Event visitors include Class 17 No. D8568 - the only surviving example of the Clayton Type 1s, Class 31 No. 31271 - carrying Trainload Construction livery and named Stratford 1840-2001 to commemorate the former locomotive depot at Stratford - and Class 33 No. 33035 - one of the only two Class 33 locomotives to be repainted into Network Southeast livery.

For more information about the Spring Diesel Festival, visit svr.co.uk or call 01562 757900.