IRSE - Institution of Railway Signal Engineers > Get Involved > Minor Railways
  1. Licensing
  2. Membership & Registration
  3. Qualifications & CPD
  4. Publications & Resources
  5. Get Involved
  6. News
  7. About
  1. Licensing
  2. Membership & Registration
  3. Qualifications & CPD
  4. Publications & Resources
  5. Get Involved
  6. News
  7. About

Minor Railways

The Minor Railways Section was formed in March 2009 and 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.

MinorRailways

Minor Railways AGM

The Sections 2024 AGM took place on 13th July at the Kidderminster Railway Museum. 14 members attended.

Visits and workshops

The 2024 programme started with a joint visit with the Midland & North Western Section to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway on 10 & 11th May. 28 members attended.

A visit to the private museum on Sunday 9th June, 34 members & guests attended.

Following the AGM on the 13th July there was a visit to the Severn Valley Bewdley Signal Boxes. 13 members attended.


Please contact the Minor Railways Visits Secretary (mrsvisits@irse.org) for further details.

Minor Railways Section S&T Technician of the Year Award 2023 - the winners!

The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers’ Minor Railways Section are delighted to announce that there are two winners of the 2023 Technician of the Year -

Nick Wellington, S&T Engineering Manager for Kent & East Sussex Railway and

The Signalling and Telecoms team at Museumstoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik

See the Minor Railways S&T Technician of the Year page for more details about them.

Minor Railways Section Technical Seminar

The 2023bi-annual technical seminar took place on 4 November 2023 at the Kidderminster Railway Museum on the theme 'modern technology in heritage railway applications'

Guidance and documentation

The IRSE Minor Railways Section publishes a series of guidelines aimed at minor and heritage railways.  All our guidance and documentation is available free of charge via the IRSE Minor Railways Section library page

Minor Railways Section Officers