The Minor Railways Section aims to provide an encouraging forum to support, assist, and provide guidance and to learn from those involved in the minor railway and heritage S&T community.
This includes the purchase, preservation, restoration, installation, maintenance and operation of all aspects of S&T equipment, installations and buildings world-wide. The section shares information and give guidance regarding items such as (but not limited to):
- Safety
- Legal Requirements
- Communication of industry relevant information
- Technical processes and procedures
- Compliance
- Competence
It also aims to exchange views and provide guidance on a number of signalling and telecommunications issues and to provide some information as freely available guidance notes. All members of the Institution, non-members and guests are welcome to attend meetings.
Minor Railways Section AGM
The Section's 2023 AGM will take place at the Swindon Panel building in the Didcot Railway Centre on 15 July. Details, including pre-registration form, are available here.
Visits and workshops
The 2023 visits programme started with a visit to the Dean Forest Railway on 22 April which 38 members and guests attended. Thanks to the Dean Forest Railway for the success of the visit.
Further technical visits and workshops are currently being planned for members and non-members and will be advertised via the IRSE events pages and include
Minor Railways Section S&T Technician of the Year Award
The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers’ Minor Railways Section runs a bi-annual award, designed to recognise those volunteering individuals, staff members and volunteers who demonstrate an outstanding individual commitment, on a regular basis, to the practice of S&T engineering on their particular minor railway, or in a minor railway context. See our Technician of the Year dedicated webpage for more details of the 2023.
The last award in 2021 for the S&T Technician of the year was won by Chris French of SignallingWA for his work on the Claremont Signal Cabin.
Minor Railway Section Technical Seminar
The next bi-annual technical seminar is planned to take place in 2023 at the Kidderminster Railway Museum on 4 November on the theme "technology and minor railways" - how technology is being used to help minor railways S&T systems in the heritage sector.
Guidance and documentation
The IRSE Minor Railways Section publishes a series of guidelines aimed at minor railways. All our guidance and documentation are available via the IRSE Minor Railways section library page.
Minor Railways Section Officers