The Sybil Locomotive Trust has won recognition in the form of runner-up and Highly Commended placings for the Steam Locomotive of the Year award at the Heritage Railway Association’s awards.

There were five nominations for the national award, and Sybil was the only narrow gauge entry.

The winner of the award was new-build Atlantic mainline railway locomotive 32424 ‘Beachy Head’, which is based at the Bluebell Railway in Sussex.

The award presentations took place at an evening event in Gateshead in north-east England on Saturday 8 February.

The West Lancashire Light Railway was very pleased to have been nominated for the award, which it considers to be very prestigious and “a very proud moment for a small, dedicated restoration team.”

The nomination recognises outstanding restorations and excellence in engineering.

The Trust, which is based at the West Lancashire Light Railway in Hesketh Bank, has been working on restoring Sybil for eight years. Sybil is a Bagnal 0-4-0ST and was built in 1906. The loco worked in the Dinorwic Slate Quarries at Llanberis in North Wales.

Restoring Sybil included installing a new boiler, which was built by volunteers at the Hesketh Bank workshop.