The St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust is pleased to announce that at the National Railway Heritage Awards ceremony for 2010 held last week, the Trust was presented with the Invensys Signalling Award for the restoration of the 1892-built Midland Railway signal box.
Abandoned by British Railways in 1980, the box had suffered from neglect, decay and vandalism until the Trust (formed in 2003) negotiated a 25 year lease from Network Rail in March 2006. With assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Railway Heritage fund and others, totalling around £135,000 and several thousand hours of work by Trust volunteers, the box has been regularly opened to the public since Easter 2009.
After the presentation the Trust Chairman, Mr Keith Webster, paid tribute to the many who had supported the Trust by donations of money or time.
The Trust continues to develop the box and surrounding land and over the next year will be expanding the signal demonstrations in the box and in the surrounding garden.
Our next few open days are 2-5pm on Sunday 12th December, 10am-4pm on Sat/Sun 15th/16th January (in connection with the annual Chiltern Model Railway Association exhibition at the Alban Arena) and Sat/Sun 29th/30th January (also 10am-4pm) in connection with special events for St Alban's residents - but others are also welcome, of course!
ENTRY IS FREE - but donations are always welcome!
We are in Ridgmont Road, off Victoria Street, at the bottom of the NR carpark - full opening details and location map are on our website http://www.sigbox.co.uk.
Abandoned by British Railways in 1980, the box had suffered from neglect, decay and vandalism until the Trust (formed in 2003) negotiated a 25 year lease from Network Rail in March 2006. With assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Railway Heritage fund and others, totalling around £135,000 and several thousand hours of work by Trust volunteers, the box has been regularly opened to the public since Easter 2009.
After the presentation the Trust Chairman, Mr Keith Webster, paid tribute to the many who had supported the Trust by donations of money or time.
The Trust continues to develop the box and surrounding land and over the next year will be expanding the signal demonstrations in the box and in the surrounding garden.
Our next few open days are 2-5pm on Sunday 12th December, 10am-4pm on Sat/Sun 15th/16th January (in connection with the annual Chiltern Model Railway Association exhibition at the Alban Arena) and Sat/Sun 29th/30th January (also 10am-4pm) in connection with special events for St Alban's residents - but others are also welcome, of course!
ENTRY IS FREE - but donations are always welcome!
We are in Ridgmont Road, off Victoria Street, at the bottom of the NR carpark - full opening details and location map are on our website http://www.sigbox.co.uk.
