RESTORATION of the unique North Eastern Railway 1903 autocar No. 3170 has won two major Heritage Railway Association awards.
The painstaking work by the NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust, led by Stephen Middleton, to restore what was once a holiday home to a fully serviceable rail vehicle led a panel of HRA judges to award the autocar the Manisty Award for Excellence.
This prestigious award is only given on an occasional basis to an exceptional and outstanding contribution to railway preservation.
In the view of the judging panel, it was viewed as an impossible engineering project.
However, the combination of the wooden bodywork restoration together with up-cycled components from HSTs, 08s, an ex-Southern Region EMU and other locomotives has kept the design true to the original concept while embracing technology unavailable – such as a diesel power unit – when built 116 years ago.
Read more in the January 2019 issue of The RM – on sale now!
Advert
Railway Reads
From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.Get The Railway Hub Weekly Round-up
Enter your e-mail address below and you will receive weekly rail news straight into your inbox…You can unsubscribe at any time.
