Railway Industry Memorial 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                All photos ©SJBrown 2015

Railway workers, some of whom have given their lives in the service of the industry over the last 150 years have got their own memorial, topped off by a Class 8F steam engine.

The memorial is in celebration of their achievements from the 19th century through to the present day and was unveiled  in front of nearly 1,000 onlookers.

The memorial, with the locomotive carved in black granite, was dedicated at the National Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire  in a service conducted by Rev James Lindsay of the Railway Mission. Sir Bob Reid, former chairman of British Rail, accompanied by Ian Dudson, Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, unveiled the memorial.

Sam Reed, vice president of the British Transport Pensioners Federation (BTPF), which has been campaigning for the memorial, said:

“A national memorial to the memory of rail workers is long overdue. Whilst many lives have been lost in times of conflict over the years this memorial recognises much more than that.

“It is also to the memory of those killed in the construction of the railway, those who have lost their lives subsequently in tragic accidents and moreover to all those who have worked to provide the railway we enjoy today and for those who will take the industry forward in the future.

“We want this to be a place where people can come and reflect in quiet solitude, and pay their respects whether it be to loved ones, friends or simply the unsung heroes from across the industry.”

for more information see http://www.railwayindustrymemorial.com/