The RailStaff Awards 2024

Roger Phelps

Dean Forest Railway

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Nominations for Lifetime Achievement Award

Adam Williams

Said the following about Roger Phelps:

“We were shocked and saddened at the sudden death of Roger Phelps (one of the founding members of the Dean Forest Railway) in late January, as such we would like to posthumously nominate him for the lifetime achievement award. This nomination comprises eulogies from Roger’s brother, Michael, and former colleague, Ian Allison:

Roger started in May 1970 with British Rail, Western Region, as a Linesman based at Gloucester. Quite early on, Roger’s enthusiasm and organisational skills were recognised and although junior in service he was often given small projects to lead. After 10 years at Gloucester, he moved to the Technical Officer’s post at Cardiff; this commute was travelled on his trusted motorcycle in all weathers to Chepstow and then the train. Unsurprisingly, he soon made his mark with even the most insular and cantankerous of individuals extant in the division, taming them for others! These skills also came in handy in the world of railway preservation!

Four years later he transferred to Bristol as Senior Technical Officer. In May 1988 Roger opted for the newly created PTO post at Gloucester which was placed in the Reading area; this move broadened his horizons and once again he was soon making his mark. 1992 saw another move, this time to Birmingham and he was in charge of the Technical Support staff which covered the diverse area sometimes known as ‘Yarmouth to Barmouth’. For someone steeped in the standardised Western way of doing things this was an enormous change with so many different systems, standards, and ways of working. With the breakup of British Rail in 1994 he remained in Birmingham and after another reorganisation in 2000 he came back to Gloucester. Later he was approached by Amey to take up the role of Asset Manager at Banbury but moved back to Birmingham as Signalling Works Delivery Engineer. After yet another re-organisation in 2008 Roger was delighted to be appointed to take charge as National Mechanical and Electrical Locking Engineer; he was the first man ever to have controlled mechanical locking in England, Wales, and Scotland. He managed this group, travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles, including Ireland where some work was won, until he retired after exactly 42 years of service in May 2012.

Following retirement, Roger continued his involvement in railways, being a member of the Severn Valley Railway where he latterly was a Signalling Inspector, the Hereford Society of Model Engineers, the Swiss Railway Society and many others. At the DFR in recent years, Roger spent a number of years as General Manager, and then in a post called Operational Liaison Manager where he looked after visiting ‘Yellow Machines’ - tampers and other On Track Plant from Network Rail and others, using the DFR for testing and training. He also, with David Collins, managed the renewal of the Lydney Bypass and Harbour Road level crossings with brand new Swiss machinery, introducing new technology (axle counters) to heritage railways in the process. Roger also served a term as Chairman of the DFR operating company, his tenure coinciding with the COVID lockdown. Roger’s input to the group which led the railway through the crisis was invaluable – a steady hand on the tiller. Roger’s last big projects were Parkend Signal Box, where he played a big role in the electrical arrangements and testing of the box, and the new partnership with Quattro which resulted in the donation of a Road Rail Vehicle to the DFR.“