IRSE - Institution of Railway Signal Engineers > Get Involved > Minor Railways
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  1. Licensing
  2. Membership & Registration
  3. Qualifications & Careers
  4. Publications & Resources
  5. Get Involved
    Sold out! ASPECT 2023 Melbourne Australia, click below for full details
    November 21 - 23
    Melbourne AUS
  6. News
  7. Store

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 Section's 2023 AGM took place at the Swindon Panel building at the Didcot Railway Centre on 15 July 2023. The Section thanks the Swindon Panel Society for their hospitality and exclusive access to the panel

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. The signalling maintenance and inspection workshop took place in September with kind support and sponsorship of Signet Solutions and the bi-annual technical seminar on 'modern technology in heritage railway applications' was held at Kidderminster Railway Museum in early November.

Ttechnical visits and workshops are currently being planned for members and non-members in 2024 and will be advertised via the IRSE events pages along with booking details (when available) and include

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

Visit our Facebook page to learn more about us

Minor Railways Section Officers