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Boulby Donation Helps Rail Heritage Society

A ‘heavyweight’ donation from ICL Boulby is helping to ensure the future of an organisation which works to preserve the area’s rail heritage.

Loading the lines up at ICL Boulby.

The gift in question consists of rails no longer needed at the Boulby site which will now enable the Darlington Railway Preservation Society to continue its operations as it moves to a new base.

Society member Richard Snowdon spotted the rails which had been removed from an old siding when he was working at the Boulby site and approached the company to enquire whether they could acquire it.

The Society has to move buildings as part of the plans for the development of the new Darlington Railway Heritage Quarter and, as a charity affected by a loss of revenue because of the Covid 19 pandemic, it could have been hit hard by a potentially high price tag for the rails needed on the n

ew site.

With ICL Boulby agreeing to help, the rails have been moved to Darlington and will make an important contribution to securing the future of the Society.

Says Richard Snowdon “The society is over the moon with the redundant railway lines that have been donated by ICL Boulby. It will be used in the new project which is part of the council’s grand plan to redevelop the Railway Heritage Quarter in Darlington.

“As the shed we currently inhabit will be turned into the entrance to the Heritage Quarter we are being moved into another building on site which originally used to be a locomotive shed but, as the council has to spend so much on the actual building, it cannot afford to pay for the railway line required for us to continue and we are required to supply and fit all the rail on the new site

“The donation of the rail is a massive step for us and a really good start to the project. We spent two days collecting the rail from the mine and I would like to say a massive thank you to all those involved for making it possible.

Rail lines arrive at the society.

Says Mark Wilson, ICL UK Logistics & Supply Chain Manager “The railways have been at the heart of the North East’s industrial heritage and, of course, play a big part in our operations, transporting our products from Boulby to our terminal at Teesport and then to farmers and growers across the world.

“When we were approached on behalf of the Society we were happy to help and wish it every success in the future.”