The 2017 National Railway Heritage Awards saw two major signalling schemes on Britain’s preserved railways recognised. Both schemes – on the Bluebell Railway and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway – represented a successful marriage of old and more recent technology to cater for the successful operations that both railways had become. The plaque awarded to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was unveiled earlier in the year, but Tuesday 23 October 2018 saw the plaque awarded to the Bluebell Railway, announced at the ceremony held at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in December 2017, formally unveiled.
The plaque at Horsted Keynes following its unveiling on Tuesday 23 October with, from left to right, Tony Tomkins, NRHA treasurer and trustee, Charles Hudson, leader of the Bluebell Railway’s S&T team, and, representing the award’s sponsor, Matt Cromwell, Lead Design Manager for Siemens.
A line up of Bluebell Railway S&T volunteers along with representatives of the NRHA and Siemens following the unveiling of the plaque at Horsted Keynes seen outside the restored signal box.
The revised signalling installation at Horsted Keynes, the culmination of more than a decade’s work, was one of two projects awarded the Siemens Signalling Award at the 2017 National Railway Heritage Awards.