Sir Nigel Gresley: Council unveils plaque on Doncaster Station in memory of railway pioneer

Mayor Ros Jones pulled the purple curtain away from the wall of Doncaster Railway Station to reveal the installation, with the help of Matthew Delaney, great-grandson of Joe Duddington, the driver of Gresley’s record-breaking Mallard locomotive.

An emotional Matthew said it was an honour to help unveil the plaque on Thursday (Jun 19).

“It was one of those special moments,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said it was one of his ambitions to ensure his great-grandfather was remembered for the role he played in Doncaster’s innovative railway history along with Sir Nigel Gresley.

“They were the Christian Horner and Max Verstappen of their day,” he said with pride. “They were world record breakers.”

Before the plaque was unveiled, along with a new information board on Gresley and the record-breaking Mallard, Mayor Jones told the gathered crowd significant the railway engineer was to Doncaster.

She said: “These are not just memorials, but symbols of vision, innovation and enduring legacy. Sir Nigel Gresley was not only a pioneering locomotive engineer, but a man whose designs came to define an era of progress, speed and elegance on rails.

“It gives me great pleasure to unveil this plaque and information board. May it be a beacon of interest and inspiration to those who live in, or visit, our great City of Doncaster.”

The mayor was followed by speakers Ed Turner, from LNER, and Philip Benham, chairman of The Gresley Society.

Edinburgh-born Gresley lived in Doncaster from 1905 to 1923 and became one of Britain’s most famous railway engineers as the brain behind the Flying Scotsman and Mallard.

Both locomotives were designed and built in Doncaster – cementing the then-town as a hub for the developing rail industry.

Mr Turner said he and LNER considered Gresley to be the greatest railway engineer in history.

He said the company was honoured to fund the installation of the plaque and information board – commemorating Gresley’s legacy within LNER.

All three speakers commended the work of Bill McHugh for working very hard to bring the plaque and memorial to reality.

Last week, Mr McHugh, culture transformation lead at the City of Doncaster Council, was named on the King’s birthday honours list. He will receive an MBE for services to local government, heritage and the community of South Yorkshire.