HRA preservation winners announced
The Heritage Railway Association revealed the winners of its annual awards, which recognise achievements in preservation, at an event held in central Birmingham on March 19.
THE top prize at this year’s Heritage Railway Association Awards went to the Talyllyn Railway, to mark its 70 years as a preservation pioneer. The Manisty Award for Excellence – which is not presented every year, but reserved to recognise exceptional achievement – was given to the TR to honour the contribution the Welsh narrow gauge line has made to the heritage railway sector since it became the first railway in the world to be preserved by volunteers in 1951.
Nearly 250 heritage railway volunteers and staff from across the UK attended the awards, which were held in central Birmingham on March 19. It was hosted by Ffestiniog and
Welsh Highland Railways general manager Paul Lewin, with guest speaker the historian and TV presenter Tim Dunn.
The were 12 other HRA awards besides the Manisty, plus four sponsored by the leading railway media. The Morgan Award,
which recognises rolling stock restoration, went to the Great Central Railway-based Quorn Wagon and Wagon Group for its 17-wagon box van train. The
Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award was presented to the Strathspey Railway for its restoration of the oldest LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 5025, while the
Award for Diesel Locomotion
went to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway for the transformation of pioneering 1920s Drewry railcar (Ryde Pier tram) No. 2.
The Small Groups award went to the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway, which attracted record numbers of visitors despite the coronavirus pandemic, and the
Large Groups winner was the Bodmin and Wenford Railway for its work transforming the business to attract a bumper number of visitors. A special
Chairman’s Award was made to Railway Vehicle Preservations Ltd for the remarkable rebuild of LNER ‘Beavertail’ observation saloon No. 1729 back to its 1937 condition.
Other winners on the night were the Seaton Tramway
(Outstanding Visitor Attraction); the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Sarah Tagart (Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award); the Downs Light Railway’s Thomas and Lucy Isherwood (Most Innovative Fundraising Idea); the Bure Valley Railway (Environmental Innovation); the West Somerset Railway Association (Internal Communications); the East Lancashire Railway (External Communications)
Magazine winners
The Railway Magazine-sponsored Lifetime Achievement Award was won by Steve Allen, chairman of the North Norfolk Railway, whose continuous hard work and dedication since the mid-1970s has helped see the NNR grow into the successful tourist and heritage operation it is today. The Rail Express Modern Traction Award went to the
125 Group for its power cars setting a preservation speed record of 125mph on the main line; and the Heritage Railway Interpretation Award went to the Great Western Society for 60 years of preservation, as did Steam Railway’s Readers’ Award.
HRA chief executive Steve
Oates said, “After another really tough 12-months, not just for heritage railways but for the whole country, it’s been immensely satisfying to see and hear what a fantastic job volunteers and staff across the industry have been doing. It fills me with pride and with optimism that we will overcome whatever challenges face us next.”