A piece of Pontefract mining and railway history has been presented to a coal mining heritage group.
The Prince of Wales Colliery sign which was once on the front of the level crossing signal box outside the pit has been presented the heritage group by Network Rail
The sign had been kept in storage since the box was demolished in 2024, when the level crossing was upgraded to one with automated technology.
Memorial group member Garry Foreman, who worked at the pit for more than 30 years, approached Network Rail to enquire about the sign.
The group feared it might end up being thrown out and wanted to add it to their growing collection of historical memorabilia from the area.
Garry said: “It was brilliant to be presented with the signal box sign by Network Rail. I was in the middle of doing my shopping when I got the call to say we could have it
“It’s important that we preserve items like this. It’s the same reason why we campaigned for 20 years to get our mining memorial, and why we have a pit reunion every year.
“We’ve been speaking to an engineering firm and we’re going to get the missing letters on the sign replaced. We’re still discussing where the sign will eventually end up, but it was so important to us that it didn’t end up in a skip.”
The “Ponty Prince” pit operated for more than 130 years and produced 1.5 million tonnes of coal a year until its 2002 closure over geological issues.
Level crossing manager Darren Roberston-Wilson received the request when he worked in Network Rail’s community relations department and got to work tracking down the sign.
He said: “I had to figure out where the sign was being kept and then make sure we were allowed to release it.
“When I called Garry to give him the good news, I could tell he was really, really made up about it.
“It’s wonderful that Garry and his group have been presented with the sign and that they’re able to keep preserving the heritage of the pit and the area.”
Earlier this year, a pit banner from a Wakefield colliery that was missing for 30 years was found.
The Sharlston Colliery banner had been missing since around the time the pit closed in 1993.
