| Blue plaque for GWR's first locomotive driver. Posted by JayMac at 21:47, 4th April 2025 |     |
A blue plaque has been unveiled in Swindon's railway village honouring James Hurst, the first locomotive driver for the original Great Western Railway.
Unveiled by staff from the modern GWR as part of 2025's Railway 200 celebrations.
https://youtube.com/shorts/rwHMgPerexM
| Re: Blue plaque for GWR's first locomotive driver. Posted by bobm at 22:01, 4th April 2025 | |
A couple of photos from the event
| Re: Blue plaque for GWR's first locomotive driver. Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 22:25, 4th April 2025 | |
Thanks for posting that, bobm.
Purely for the record, who were the other dignitaries present (reading left to right from Mark Hopwood, obviously!)?
| Re: Blue plaque for GWR's first locomotive driver. Posted by bobm at 09:06, 5th April 2025 | |
GWR MD Mark Hopwood, Jim Robbins – leader of Swindon Borough Council, Heidi Alexander – Swindon South MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Tim Bryan – historian and Bogdan Lupu from Network Rail.
| Re: Blue plaque for GWR's first locomotive driver. Posted by TaplowGreen at 11:22, 5th April 2025 | |
GWR MD Mark Hopwood, Jim Robbins – leader of Swindon Borough Council, Heidi Alexander – Swindon South MP and Secretary of State for Transport, Tim Bryan – historian and Bogdan Lupu from Network Rail.
A shame the Leader of the Council couldn't find a tie that morning. What a scruff he looks.
