The Heritage Railway Association’s 2020 Awards were presented on Saturday, February 8th, to a record-breaking gathering of heritage rail operators, owners and enthusiasts. Some 250 guests attended the gala night at the Burlington Hotel, Birmingham. The packed house was entertained by guest speaker and railway historian Christian Wolmar, prior to an awards ceremony that recognised the very best achievements of the UK’s heritage rail sector.
The HRA Awards recognise a wide range of achievements and distinctions across the entire heritage railway industry, and the awards acknowledge individuals and institutions as well as railways, tramways and cliff railways.
The February 8th event saw the presentation of awards in 13 categories, which included several completely new awards. Many categories saw a record number of nominees and, in one case, joint winners.
The National Railway Museum won the Morton’s Media (Heritage Railways) Interpretation Award, for their outstanding Brass, Steel and Fire exhibition, celebrating the craftsmanship of amateur Victorian model engineers.
The Railway Magazine Annual Award for Railway Preservationist of the Year saw two winners, Richard Croucher, in recognition of his 55 years and more with the Great Western Society, and Bob Meanley for more than half a century’s dedication to locomotive restoration, and the development of Tyesley Works.
The Great Central Railway took the Morton’s Media (Rail Express) Modern Traction Award, for their Test Car 2, restored to original working condition, and unique in being the only surviving vehicle in the UK permanently adapted for the purpose of conducting slip and brake testing.
Steam Railway magazine followed the recently-established approach of picking a winner through a readers’ poll. The ten nominees were: the 6989 Restoration Group, for the restoration of Modified Hall No. 6989 Wightwick Hall; 9F No. 92134, for everyone involved in its restoration; Beamish, for their restoration of ex‑Penryn Quarry Andrew Barclay 0‑4‑0WT Glyder; the Bury Standard 4 Group, for the restoration of BR 4MT 2‑6‑4T No. 80097; the Great Western Society/Didcot Railway Centre, for the completion of the new‑build Saint No. 2999 Lady of Legend; the Groudle Glen Railway, for the construction of the new‑build Bagnall 2‑4‑0T Brown Bear and the three‑engine resident fleet; the Knotty Coach Trust, for the restoration of North Staffordshire Railway Brake Third No. 23 and a three‑ coach NSR vintage train; the National Railway Museum for the restoration of Queen Victoria’s 1869 Royal Saloon; the Severn Valley Railway, for the completion of Phase One of the Bridgnorth development project and a GWR‑style refreshment building; and the Welsh Highland Railway, for the re‑creation of Waunfawr station, and an up‑to‑date station at Caernarfon. The readers’ choice for winner was 9F No. 92134.
The Lord Faulkner Award for the Young Volunteer of the Year is now a permanent feature of the Heritage Railway Association’s Awards list. It recognises the crucial importance of succession generations in securing the future of heritage rail, and acknowledges a distinguished contribution made by one or more young volunteers, under the age of 26. The winner was Philip Civil of the Chasewater Railway. Runners-up were James Forster of the Swanage Railway, Aaron Luckarift of the Elsecar Heritage Railway, James Pearson of the West Somerset Railway/West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, and Tom Shaw of the West Somerset Railway.
The Morgan Award for Preservation was won by Quorn Wagon & Wagon (Great Central Railway), for their restoration of Test Car 2, which, along with the Rail Express Modern Traction Award, made it a double winner. Runners-up were the North Staffordshire Rolling Stock Restoration Trust (The Knotty Trust) for their restoration of NSR Brake 3rd and creation of a three-coach heritage train; The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society, for their restoration of Great Eastern Railway Brake Third 853; the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, for their Glasgow and South Western Railway passenger brake van No. 122; and the Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust for LMSR CR 2886.
This year’s Awards Night also included the bi-annual HRA Award for Communications. Carrying off the winner’s trophy was the LMS Patriot Company Ltd, for The Warrior Magazine. Runners-up were the North Norfolk Railway’s Carriage & Wagon blog, the suite of marketing communications materials produced by the Avon Valley Railway; Swanage Railway’s staff communications website; and the website of the Quorn Wagon & Wagon (Great Central Railway).
The Coiley Award is presented to an HRA member who has completed an outstanding engineering project in the field of locomotive overhaul, restoration or preservation. The 2020 winner was the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for the completion of 9F 92134. Runners-up were the Avon Valley Railway, for their Fry’s Sentinel restoration; the Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line – Urie Locomotive Society Ltd for their 18-year overhaul of their Urie S15 locomotive; the Quainton Railway Society/Buckinghamshire Railway Centre for 6989 Wightwick Hall restoration; and the Class 50 Alliance’s restoration of Class 50 No. 50033 Glorious.
New for 2020 was the HRA Award for Special Events, won by the Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company, for their Train of Lights. The runners-up list included the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, for their annual programme of events; the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway for their centenary celebrations; the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland for their Two Day Tours; and the London Transport Museum, for their celebration of 150 Years of the District Line.
The award for an Outstanding Visitor Attraction, was taken by the Bala Lake Railway, for their Heritage Centre. Bluebell Railway’s Steamworks and the London Transport Museum were runners-up, as was the Tramway Museum Society – National Tram Museum, Crich, for their Electrifying the Future exhibition.
There were four nominees in the HRA Annual Award (Small Groups) category: The Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust, for their restoration of the Ferryhill, Aberdeen turntable; the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway for 10 years’ renewed working; the Deeside Railway Company Ltd for their restoration and operation of Bon-Accord, and the evening’s winners, the West Lancashire Light Railway Trust, for the fund-raising project which secured the future of their railway.
In the HRA Annual Award (Large Groups) there were five nominees. The trophy was awarded to Volk’s Electric Railway Association, for Magnus Volk’s Legacy. The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways, for building 25 new carriages and 4 observation cars; the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, for their Havenstreet-Wootton Telegraph Pole Route; the Talyllyn Railway, for Involving Young People; and the Llangollen Railway, for the new track to Corwen Station, were all runners-up.
The gala ceremony saw a second, and very notable, new award – the Chairman’s Special Award. While the majority of the HRA Awards entries are submitted by members, the Chairman’s Special Award is proposed at the discretion of the Chairman, supported by the senior industry figures, heritage rail experts and journalists who make up the Awards Committee. The 2020 winner, the firstever, was the Great Western Society’s Saint Class 2999 Lady of Legend, a recreated Saint, which entered service in April 2019. The Great Western Society’s £825,000 project means that a design which influenced almost all subsequent British steam development, is now back on the rails.
HRA Chief Executive Steve Oates said, ‘What a terrific evening. A record turnout in an absolutely packed house, nominations from all over the UK and Ireland, all of them representing a wide array of just dazzling achievement. Throughout every facet and level of our sector, our members continue to raise the bar. It’s at times like these we realise that the heritage rail sector is fuelled by unlimited enthusiasm, energy, creativity, imagination, and sheer determination. You don’t have to be a winner or a runner up to be justifiably proud to be a part of such an impressive movement.’
Note to editors:
The Heritage Railway Association is a trade association representing, protecting and promoting the interests of heritage and tourist railways, related museums, tramways, cliff lifts, railway preservation groups and related organisations. More than 180 HRA member organisations regularly open to the public, 156 of them operating with passengers. The organisation has some 300 corporate members. The HRA assists and guides its members, who may be any organisation that is heritage rail related, and is preserving, or helping their visitors understand, or just enjoy, the UK’s rich rail based history.
The Heritage Railway Association is a trade association representing, protecting and promoting the interests of heritage and tourist railways, related museums, tramways, cliff lifts, railway preservation groups and related organisations. More than 180 HRA member organisations regularly open to the public, 156 of them operating with passengers. The organisation has some 300 corporate members. The HRA assists and guides its members, who may be any organisation that is heritage rail related, and is preserving, or helping their visitors understand, or just enjoy, the UK’s rich rail based history.
More information:
Contact: Roger Carey, Carey Communications. 01296 688366 or 07973 873245, or roger.carey@carey-communications.com
Contact: Roger Carey, Carey Communications. 01296 688366 or 07973 873245, or roger.carey@carey-communications.com