New-build double Fairlie James Spooner, a former Midland Railway five-tonne crane, and an LMS-design corridor carriage are among the many projects, people and railways shortlisted for the 2024 Heritage Railway Association awards.
The shortlist has been drawn up by a panel of leading heritage sector figures and journalists, chaired by National Railway Museum senior curator Anthony Coulls. In line for the prestigious Coiley Award for Steam Locomotive Engineering are James Spooner, the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust for the overhaul of its eponymous ‘A4’, and the Richmond Light Railway for the overhaul of 2ft gauge Bagnall 0 ‐ 4‐0ST Pixie.
Four projects are competing for the equally prestigious Morgan Award for Rolling Stock Preservation: the Isle of Wight Railway’s restoration 1860s Midland Railway crane, the Severn Valley Railway for the overhaul of 1950-built LMS-design Corridor Composite carriage No. 24617, the Manx Electric Railway for the restoration of trailer car No. 19, and the National Wagon Preservation Group for its ‘Merry-Go-Round’ wagon project.
There’s an all-narrow gauge shortlist for the Railway of the Year award, with the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Seaton Tramway, and Volks Electric Railway vying for the top honour. Up for the Diesel & Electric Locomotion award are the North Norfolk Railway’s restoration of Class 104 DMU driving trailer No. M56182, the Seaton Tramway’s upgrade of Tramcar No. 9 to improve accessibility, and the Severn Valley Railway’s celebrations of 50 years of diesel preservation.
In line for the Infrastructure Award is the Rother Valley Railway’s Hither Green turntable installation, the restoration of Bricket Wood station building by Bricket Wood Station Heritage Trust, the installation of a panel signal box at Medstead & Four Marks station on the Mid-Hants Railway, and the Llangollen Railway’s Corwen station project.
The contenders for the Award for Business & Customer Innovation are the Keith & Dufftown Railway’s conversion of a redundant DMU carriage into a ‘Dram Tram’ car, the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Santa special quiet days, and the Seaton Tramway’s Natural Season Festival. The latter is also in the running for the Award for Environmental Innovation, alongside the KESR’s ‘Looking Inwards and Outwards’ initiative.
Four volunteers are in contention for the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer of the Year Awards: Daisy Shennan from the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, Jonathan King from the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, Jacob Short from Peak Rail, and Joseph Dean from the Avon Valley Railway. Meanwhile, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Sam Hall, Chelsea Lamb from Peak Rail, and Osian Hughes from t
