The Rail Trolley Trust has completed the purchase of several items connected with rail trolleys that it has had on loan for several years.

The Trust’s aim is to purchase, restore, and demonstrate small rail construction and maintenance trolleys and similar vehicles and their associated equipment and paperwork from manufacturers that were associated with UK main line and narrow-gauge railways.

The Trust had on loan a motor trolley system trackside sign, a portable token, and a signal box token alarm, but in March 2024 their owner contacted the Trust and advised that he wished to dispose of these items and two other similar items that he owned .

As it was clear that these items fell within the Trust’s remit of demonstrating how trolleys were operated and signalled, the Trust decided it should attempt to purchase them for its collection.

After agreeing a very reasonable price with the owner for the items it had on loan and the other two items, they were collected on 28th March.

The trackside sign shows evidence of suffering badly from weather damage over the years and was dispatched to a Trust member for restoration, whilst another member of the Trust will restore the other two items.

In the long term, the Trust hopes to demonstrate the signalling system together with a replica of a typical “off track” and Token Plug in Point. This will take place once the Trust has reached an agreement with a suitable heritage railway to host them.

The Trust would also like anyone with experience of these systems to contact them, as well as anyone wishing to become involved in the project and restoring the item., then they should also get in contact with the Trust .

Last year, the Trust opened an appeal to raise £10,000 to offset restoration costs. As it receives more donations, they will allow the collection to be moved to secure locations and go towards providing suitable storage accommodation for some of the Trust’s older and more historic vehicles and allow progress on several restoration projects.

The Trust’s collection is currently stored, restored, and maintained at the Chasewater Railway, in Staffordshire, and at the Tanat Valley Light Railway in Shropshire.

If anyone wishes to donate to the Trust, they can do so online by clicking here.

The Trust recently received a donation of three motor gang trolleys from the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust.