A piece of Manchester Piccadilly’s railway heritage has been restored to its rightful place, thanks to the dedication of a retired train driver. The Manchester & Birmingham Railway plaque, a replica of the original 1839 artifact, was first installed in the mid-1960s but vanished during station renovations in 1998, only to remain missing when the upgrade was completed in 2002.

The plaque’s journey back began in 2019 when Mel Thorley, 77, from Stockport, spotted it for sale on eBay for £3,700. Together with his friend, retired British Transport Police officer Dave Smith, Mel raised the alarm, eventually bringing the matter to the attention of Lord Peter Hendy, then-chairman of Network Rail and now rail minister. The plaque was recovered with the help of BTP officers.

Following a restoration project, the three-ton plaque has now been returned to Manchester Piccadilly, standing proudly on platform 10 for passengers to see. The project highlights the importance of preserving historic elements within Britain’s rail network.

Phil James, Network Rail’s route director for the North West, said:

“This is an incredible story that has been possible because of the hard work of our colleagues and Mel. It’s great to see the plaque returned to its rightful place and it shows how important the history of our stations is. Manchester Piccadilly is a vital transport hub for our passengers, and now they will see the plaque daily.”

Mel Thorley added:

“I am so proud to see the plaque returned to where it should be inside the station. I couldn’t believe it when I spotted it for sale online but it’s great to see it back where it belongs.”

Image: Network Rail