WEST Somerset Railway supporters have brought a Great Western Railway signal box nameplate back ‘home’ having raised £1400 in under a week.
It was sold after the railways closure in 1966 and is still in the same condition, complete with original British Railways Western Region chocolate and cream paintwork.
Railway volunteers clubbed together to buy the nameplate, quickly achieved thanks to fast work by 22 supporters and the Friends of Minehead Station.
The plate will now form part of the collection of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, and chairman Chris Austin praised the “magnificent effort” by supporters.
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“In the dark days 50 years ago when the line was running down towards closure, who could have foreseen it would ever come back to today’s successful West Somerset Railway?”
The newly acquired nameplate is on display at the trust’s museum at Blue Anchor station between 10.30am and 4pm until Sunday (October 8), during the WSR Autumn Steam Gala (October 5 – 8). Duty volunteer signalman Richard Neal is pictured with the nameplate in front of the present Minehead signal box on the West Somerset Railway.