Historic royal railway plaque finds new home

A plaque to commemorate a royal visit more than 100 years ago has been found a new home.

It was originally commissioned to mark the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the Crewe Railway Works in 1913 in Cheshire, which Network Rail said was "a huge moment for the town".

But it has been handed over to the Crewe Heritage Trust because the signal box where it was displayed was decommissioned as part of signalling upgrades on the West Coast Main Line.

The plaque can now be found at the Crewe Heritage Centre, situated on the original Crewe Works land.

Network Rail said, when the royal couple visited in 1913, they "were met at the train station by large crowds waving flags and streamers and the town was decorated with bunting and fairy lights".

The King and Queen had come to see the railway works, established in 1843 to produce steam locomotives.

Some instruments from the old signalling boxes were also given to the railway trust and its chair, Gordon Heddon, said the collection was "yet another facet of Crewe's significant industrial heritage".

The signal box where the plaque was once on display was decommissioned over Christmas.

Network Rail is in the process of carrying out a £191m overhaul of junctions in the area and the lines once controlled by the signal box have been switched to the Manchester Rail Operating Control centre.

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