We are saddened to report the death of Chris Smyth on 15 March 2024. Chris was a long-term trustee of the National Railway Heritage Awards representing the interests of the Heritage Railway Association, the successor to the Association of Railway Preservation Societies (a body that had been instrumental in establishing the awards in association with Ian Allan Ltd). Apart from his involvement with the NRHA, Chris was also noted for his work with the work of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, in particular the Vintage Carriages Trust, and the National Tramway Museum amongst others. His good friend Tony Tomkins pays tribute as follows:
Chris was a very dear friend whose knowledge of so many different things revealed the breadth of his interests. We journeyed together in so many parts of the world , from Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina to a rich variety of European and Scandic destinations engendered by Fedecrail visits.
As a traveling companion – probably unrivalled; as a friend unparalleled. RIP.
Our deepest condolences go to Chris’s family in their sad loss.