Celebrating Heritage Leadership: Former Chairman Awarded MBE at Didcot Railway Centre
Visitors and supporters of the Great Western Railway heritage in Oxfordshire have reason to celebrate following a prestigious national honour awarded to a key figure behind the attraction's long-term success. Richard Croucher, Vice President and former Chairman of the Great Western Society, has received a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for his extensive contributions to railway tourism, education, and leisure.
Honouring Decades of Preservation Leadership in Oxfordshire
Serving as Chairman from 2001 to 2019—and previously as Deputy Chairman starting in 1985—Richard Croucher shaped the physical and operational landscape of the living museum. One of his most enduring achievements was negotiating a secure 50-year site lease with Network Rail and its predecessors, protecting a permanent home for the collection.
Beyond administrative security, Croucher steered multiple complex restoration and repatriation efforts that gained recognition across the railway sector:
- Locomotive 4079 ‘Pendennis Castle’: Spearheaded the successful 2000 repatriation from Australia, managing funding and restoration that culminated in a triumphant return to steam in 2022.
- Locomotive 6023 ‘King Edward II’: Directed the fundraising and restoration of this unit from a heavily deteriorated, partially dismantled state to operational status in 2011.
- ‘Saint’ Class 2999 ‘Lady of Legend’: Oversaw a 23-year project utilizing upcycled and newly manufactured components to recreate a 1906 GWR passenger locomotive class, completed in 2019.
- GWR Steam Railmotor: Guided the award-winning 2004 reconstruction project, producing a vehicle capable of operating on both heritage lines and the national rail network.
Following his tenure as Chairman, Croucher received the Railway Magazine Annual Award for Services to Railway Preservation in 2020. Reflecting on the recent national recognition, he emphasized that the MBE is an acknowledgement of the collective efforts achieved by the Great Western Society and the wider team at the site over the decades.
To plan your own visit and explore historic locomotives, active engine sheds, and recreated stations firsthand, you can find further details through Musemap (musemap.art). Discover more local attractions by browsing the Oxford museum search or viewing the interactive Oxford map view.
