I’m at the NE Mining Institute Newcastle today for the 63rd UITPnRegional & Suburban Railways Committee & Division Mtg - thanks for inviting me to speak about the work of the RHT. It’s a great venue which holds in its archives the 1st map with a drawing of a stationary steam engine on it.

Thank you to Network Rail Eastern Region & Colt Construction for facilitating a visit to the clock tower at Scarborough Station, the restoration of which we are planning to support with a grant. Amazingly detailed decoration for a structure never meant to be viewed so close up.

An interesting visit today to Westmorland and the listed remains of Furness Abbey Station, later The Abbey Tavern and now owned by English Heritage. A complex site intricately linked to the Cistercian Abbey adjacent, would be good to see it have a sustainable future.

A fascinating project by Coventry CC which we supported with a small grant to restore the historic boundary wall with the railway. It’s not often we can support a historic park or garden. See next post for what it looked like before restoration. www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article...

If you have not seen the latest on the restoration of James Robb Scott’s Richmond station, watch this and swoon at the inter-war glamour. A great SWR - Network Rail - @railwayheritage.bsky.social project. www.linkedin.com/posts/south-...

Good to see so many places which the RHT has supported with grants in our 40 year history, in Michael Portillo's new series - 200 Years of the Railways - inc. Darlington North Rd, Newcastle HLB, Heighington & York. A great showcase for #Railway200 #sdrfestival. Do watch!

Today’s visit was to GWR’s Stroud Sttion - hopefully a project to turn disused space into a commercial let - this used to be the General Waiting Rm. Unfortunately disruption earlier means I won’t make it to the Rocket All Aboard launch in Manchester this evening. Hope it goes well!

Hello to an old friend - a 1930s London Transport sign we bought back some 25 years ago & that was displayed at 55 Broadway. Returned and unveiled today at the station it was made for in 1937. @railwayheritage.bsky.social

Changing trains at @TPExpressTrains Selby station Platform 1, and nice to see these lovely air bricks of overlapping train wheels and flowers - a bit of a scrub with some soapy water would get them shining again! Similar ones on the canteen building in Holgate works, York #railwayheritage

The work undertaken by Network Rail Eastern Region and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway at Keighley has been one of the best projects we've supported recently. Architectural photographer Nina Carrington visited recently and here are four images she captured of the completed work. Beautiful!

It’s been a few years since we awarded a grant to the Calder Valley Community Land Trust to help them restore the S/B at Hebden Br. They’ve finally got a lease & today I went in to have a look. It’s going to make a great restoration project retaining the lever frame & creating a small holiday let.

Great work by South Western Railway to restore the derelict Grade II listed stn house at #EwellWestStation into a residential unit to let. A great reuse of a historic space to bring revenue into the industry. Well done - we were delighted to help with grant funding. #railwayheritagetrust

Architectural photographer Nina Carrington has recently visited #Coventry Station to record completed work which we have supported with grants working in partnership with AvantiWestCoast and NetworkRail NW&C Region to restore tiling, install new skylights & new signage.

Great meeting on site today with Paul Sweeney MSP, Helen from Spirit of Springburn and Matt from Network Rail Scotland to discuss all things Springburn - a B listed station building in an ocean of Glasgow railway history.

Last Thursday we were pleased to help the Friends of the S&DR celebrate their acquisition of the world’s first true station building at Heighington with the help of Hitachi. The RHT awarded a grant of £90k to aid restoration in April 2024 conditional on the Friends acquiring the building.

What a transformation!!! Well done to Network Rail Southern Region and their contractors for restoring this building in Southern Railway colours. #EastFarleigh The building now has a future use as an operational office for the railway. More projects like this that we can help grant fund pls.

We are always pleased to learn about railway heritage in other countries and are in contact with the Regional Revitalisation Team in Misato Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Their Rikuu East line is faced with closure so they are doing heritage tours to raise its profile.

Popped into the NRM this morning to catch the Class 91 on the turntable before it heads off into traffic. A great way to celebrate 50 years of the NRM.

Thank you to S&DR 200 Festival for inviting me to the preview of the new ‘Steam to the Future’ exhibition this evening at Hopetown Darlington - intriguing artwork by A A Murakami - plus a chance to enjoy the museum when it’s a bit quieter on a lovely evening.

We recently posted about a visit to Thurston Station in Suffolk. After the visit we looked into one of our collections of old photos & found these, including the now demolished platform 1 building, the subway under the tracks and the agricultural sidings and depot.

We were pleased to give a grant to the Friends of Glazebrook Station - nr Warrington, built by the Cheshire Lines Committee - to restore their water fountain. It’s now completed and this before and after shows the difference that’s made to a small but decorative feature.

If you fancy a day out by train to the seaside, there’s nowhere better than Cleethorpes and The Mermaid Fish and Chip restaurant at the TPE station next to the beach. Recently restored with help from us it’s a stunning place - and the fish and chips are great too!

A visit around beautiful, but empty Greater Anglia Grade II listed #ThurstonStation building yesterday. A local group are campaigning for a future use and re-opening the subway. A project which we’d gladly support if it came along

Passing back through March this afternoon after a visit to Thurston and good to see the excellent repainting by Greater Anglia in heritage colours which we have helped support with a grant. #railwayheritage #railwayheritagetrust

The #Railway200 #Inspiration Exhibition Train is officially open. Congratulations to Emma and Alan and all the Railway 200 team for a well organised event with Lord Peter Hendy doing the honours assisted by Sir Andrew Haines, a choir, a poet and lots of schoolchildren

We sponsor a National Railway Heritage Award for projects in receipt of one of our grants. Last year the Award was won by Market Rasen for a project delivered by Colt Construction, funded mainly by Network Rail Eastern Region and with an £18k grant from us. Today we unveiled the award plaque.

Excellent event at the Rhondda Tunnel today showcasing the potential of the site to key stakeholders. Well organised by the Rhondda Tunnel Society and Martin Roberts, and Railway Paths Ltd. @RailwayHeritage is on board - we’ve awarded a £100k grant to support its reopening. & rain did not stop play.

Our friends at NE Lincolnshire Council have shared some photos of the nearly-completed restoration of the Mermaid Fish and Chip Restaurant at Cleethorpes for whose restoration we have given two grants.

Before my talk to E Bedlington Parish Council I’ve gone to find the site of Bedlington Ironworks & Engine Works - the source of rails for the S@DR - not much beyond the name Furnace Bank remains. The first locomotive to haul a train from London King’s Cross was from Bedlington!

In Darlington today for an S&DR200 Festival event - more on this later…#railway200

Thank you to Network Rail Scotland for inviting me to attend the official opening of the new platforms at Dunkeld and Birnam by First Minister John Swinney - great to see this significant improvement for LNER and ScotRail passengers in operation

We are pleased that Chiltern Railways has completed the installation of a new heritage-style running-in board at Birmingham Moor Street which we supported with a grant.

We've recently had some professional photography undertaken by Nina Carrington of the completed project at Richmond to the station facade - the quality of the work can be seen by how closely the station now looks to its 1930s heyday when viewed in black and white.

The final stop on our 40th anniversary tour is upon us. A big thanks to Network Rail Scotland & LNER for hosting in a great location - Edinburgh Waverley . Thanks as always to Chair Andy for cutting the ribbon & opening proceedings! A great turnout - do visit if you can. It’s there until 13 June.

Tim & Anna joined Andy at Brixton this morning to help unveil a plaque providing interpretation for the Platforms Pieces sculptures at the station - great to be joined by 2 of the models - Joy & Karin, sculptor Kevin, Mayor of Lambeth & many of the Southeastern/BTP team there.

And just like that we are on venue four of our 40th anniversary tour - #YorkStation. As always, with many thanks to our Chair for cutting the ribbon and LNER for hosting us for the next two weeks. Thanks also to our guests and fellow Advisory Panel members. Exhibition is free and on until 30 May.

While the S&DR is 200 years old this year, and the RHT is 40, the bookshop of our friends at the HML CRP at Pitlochry is 20 years old. Just as good a reason to celebrate and they are doing that by holding a special book sale on June 21 - see poster below #Railway200

#celingsonsunday St James Railway church Tebay Linked to two railway companies built for their workers. the brickwork is similar to that used on many of the L&NWR’s stations. The benches are of the same design as the L&NWR’s station benches of the time.Really interesting exhibition inside the church

Those who follow us will know how much we like Jesse Rust mosaic tiling. So it was a pleasure to see Frank Brangwyn’s altar decoration of St Aidan’s Church Harehills, Leeds. Planned as a painting, Brangwyn changed to mosaic as he thought paint would be damaged by pollution.

A big thank you to the Weardale Railway for showing me their route today and discussing some of their built railway heritage plans, some of which we may be able to assist them with in practical ways. It’s a line with so much history and natural beauty.

This is great! As I have bored soooo many people with, it’s the small design features that are so important to giving a station its character. They’re so easily lost, or overlooked in refurbishment works.

At MOR yesterday talking about the proposed major redevelopment with Network Rail but making the case for also looking after the heritage of the station - especially the small stuff like lighting, clock mounting (needs a new clock design!) original terrazzo (on Pl 5) and possibly original signs

Our Chair Andy unveiled a plaque at London Victoria earlier today with colleagues from Network Rail and GTR to celebrate the completion of restoration work to the LBSCR tiled maps for which we gave a grant. Benedict O’Looney advised on the restoration.

At the Underfall Yard tonight for a fundraiser, they’re £400k short of target to reinstate the big shed following the fire two years ago. Do bung them a few £, the Yard and its boatbuilders are the essence of Bristol and the crown jewels of the Floating Harbour. underfallyard.co.uk/about/recove...

Our 40th anniversary exhibition is on the move again. A huge thank you to the Vale of Rhiedol Railway, Aberystwyth for displaying it for us over the next two weeks. Do visit if you can and see the excellent work they do. Our unveiling this morning…..

Great to visit with our Chair Andy to see works progressing to the Gatekeepers Cottage at #IngatestoneStation. Very hopeful for an opening this summer as a museum. Lots of lovely heritage bits at the station too and now featured in the local heritage trail.

Good catch up with @timhedleyj.bsky.social and the @railwayheritage.bsky.social crew at Temple Meads today for the launch of their exhibition celebrating 40 years of the Railway Heritage Trust. It’s in the station subway and well worth a look if f you’re passing - much to admire!

"I would love for it to be restored. It would fill me with so much joy, it would also make me very proud of Trimley station" 🚂💭 A survey has generated over 140 suggestions for the future of this building, including reuse as an art gallery, community café, or library📚☕️

It’s always fascinating to visit the Network Rail Records Centre in York and discuss with the team how their work, which we support each year with a grant, helps deliver the best restoration work possible to our railway heritage.

We were pleased to launch the 2nd leg of our 40th anniversary exhibition - at Bristol Temple Meads - today - ribbon cut by Andy our Chair. Joined by members of our Advisory Panel & other friends including Railway 200 & Historic England. There until 2 May. It’s in the subway between platforms.