Railcar of the Year Award
In 2012 it was decided to introduce the Railcar of the Year award as an informal recognition of DMU vehicle(s) which had been exceptional during the year.
Format
From 2012 to 2024, at the start of November nominations were invited from volunteers, enthusiasts and the general public. The reason for nomination could be anything from the completion of a top quality restoration to an amusing accident involving the vehicle. At the start of December, the five vehicles in the UK which received strong nominations went forward to the final vote, also public (one person, one vote), to determine the final winner. Unfortunately, following a rise in cheating which steadily became unmanageable, the determination of the winner was switched to a panel of judges from 2025 onwards, but with nominations still invited from the community.
Taking Part
Anyone can nominate and any railcar listed in the Preserved Vehicles section of this site can be nominated. At the start of December each year, a link to the nominations is posted here for people to view. In early January the winner of the award is announced following judging around Christmas time.
Winners
The following vehicles have been the recipients of the award (more information about that year's competition is listed on the individual pages):
2012:
Y7 Railcar 1212
2013: Class 119 W51073
2014: Class 111 E59575
2015: Class 108 E50619
2016: Class 101/111 E50321/E59575/E51427
2017: Class 105 51485/56121
2018: Class 101 E51228/E56062
2019: Class 121 W55024
2020: Class 108 M51909/M56271
2021: Class 121 55032
2022: Class 104 M50455
2023: Class 101 M51189/Sc51803
2024:
Class 122 55006
2025 Awards
Look out towards the end of the year which vehicles are in with a shout for the 2025 award!