By Rachel Alexander

Copyright expressandstar

The sign from the original Willenhall Railway Station dates back to around 1948 during the nationalisation of the railways.

The station closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching axe which led to the closure of many stations across the country.

Since then the whereabouts of the nine-foot-long maroon plaque was unknown.

That was until it was discovered among the debris following a huge fire at Masons Sawmill in Rose Hill during the late noughties.

Workmen discovered the sign at the bottom of a pile of rubbish, covered in melted bitumen. It is thought the bitumen may have helped to protect the sign during the blaze.

The sign was then handed to W.H. Tildesley, a metal forging business in Willenhall, and by chance a member of the Willenhall AY-WE residents group saw it and asked if they could have it.

The group then handed it over to Willenhall History Society who restored the sign using paraffin and degreasers and added a new end piece. Since then it has been in the society chairman’s garage.

Now, the sign has been gifted to Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Richard Parker, for it to be displayed at the new railway station, set to open next year.

Brian Read, chairman of the Willenhall History Society, said: “It was fortunate the sign survived the fire in such good condition. We repaired it in the hope it could be displayed and the new railway station is the perfect place. I look forward to seeing it welcoming passengers when the station opens next year.”

The Mayor said: “Thanks to the incredible work of the society, this sign has been preserved. It’s more than just a sign – it will serve as a link between our past and this new station’s future.”

Willenhall South ward member Councillor Simran Cheema added: “Willenhall is a town with a rich heritage, and incorporating this historic sign helps to keep that proud history alive for future generations.”