Network Rail has donated a piece of railway heritage to the Prince of Wales Colliery Memorial Group.

A sign from the Prince of Wales Colliery signal box had been kept in storage since the box was demolished in 2024.

The crossing in Pontefract was upgraded with automated technology, and there was no longer a need for the box.

The ‘Ponty Prince’ pit was open for over 130 years until its closure in 2002 due to geological issues.

A memorial group member, Garry Foreman, approached Network Rail to enquire about the sign and prevent it from ending up in a skip.

Now in their possession, they can add it to the growing collection of memorabilia from the area.

“It was brilliant to be presented with the signal box sign by Network Rail. I was in the middle of doing my shopping when I got the call to say we could have it!

“It’s important that we preserve items like this. It’s the same reason why we campaigned for 20 years to get our mining memorial, and why we have a pit reunion every year.

“We’ve been speaking to an engineering firm and we’re going to get the missing letters on the sign replaced. We’re still discussing where the sign will eventually end up, but it was so important to us that it didn’t end up in a skip!”

Garry Foreman