Gresley Society strengthens its leadership following a landmark anniversary year
Doncaster, UK – 13 October 2026: The Gresley Society Trust, founded in 1963 to honour the life and works of Sir Nigel Gresley, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Allatt as Vice Chairman and of Keith Ashford C.Eng MIMechE as a Trustee.
The appointments follow a landmark year in which the Society marked the 150th anniversary of Sir Nigel Gresley’s birth and returned its class N2 No. 1744 to traffic on the North Norfolk Railway after an extensive overhaul.
Mark Allatt has served as a Trustee of the Society since 2024 and has led much of its public communications, including the Gresley 150 programme. He brings more than three decades of heritage railway leadership. He was associated with The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust for 30 years, 27 of them as a Trustee, and spent 16 years as its Chairman. In that time, he played a central part in the fundraising, marketing and public profile of Peppercorn class A1 No. 60163 Tornado and later directed the project to build Gresley class P2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. He has also chaired the LNER Society.
Keith Ashford was appointed Locomotive Manager for No. 1744 earlier this year. A Chartered Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, he brings more than 50 years’ experience with the North Norfolk Railway, where he served as Chief Mechanical Engineer for seven years until his retirement in April 2026. He is a volunteer Trustee Director and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society. His election to the Society’s Board places the care of Sir Nigel Gresley’s oldest surviving locomotive at the centre of trustee decision-making.
Philip Benham MBE, FCILT, Chairman of The Gresley Society Trust, said:
“I am delighted that the Trustees have appointed Mark Allatt as Vice Chairman and have welcomed Keith Ashford to the Board. Together they strengthen the Society for the years ahead, in the service of our founders’ purpose: to preserve a working Gresley locomotive and to educate new generations about his life and work.
“Mark has already made a substantial contribution to the Society’s work and public profile, and he brings rare experience of leading major heritage railway projects. His success with funding raising for our class N2 has been a key factor in ensuring the locomotive’s final return to steam, while his drive and enthusiasm have been crucial to the delivery of this year’s important ‘Gresley 150’ programme.
“Keith’s appointment as a Trustee is a natural follow on from his work as Locomotive Manager for No. 1744 and gives the Board first-hand engineering leadership as we care for Sir Nigel’s oldest surviving locomotive. That he oversaw the final phase of the locomotive’s overhaul means that he brings unrivalled knowledge to this vital role.”
Mark Allatt, Vice Chairman of The Gresley Society Trust, said: “It is an honour to take on the role of Vice Chairman. Sir Nigel Gresley’s work still captures the public imagination, as this 150th anniversary year has shown. I look forward to supporting Philip and my fellow Trustees as we build on that interest and tell Gresley’s story to a wider audience.”
Keith Ashford C.Eng MIMechE, Trustee and Locomotive Manager, said: “No. 1744 is now back at work, and keeping her there is a responsibility I take seriously. Joining the Board will help us plan her care properly and repay the confidence the North Norfolk Railway has shown the Society.”
