The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust (B17 SLT) was established as an organisation with charitable status in 2011 and is managed by a board of trustees/directors.
Current Trustees / Directors
Brian Hall
Chairman & Engineering Lead
Brian retired in 2011 after a 47-year career in production engineering, production management, and works management roles, predominantly in the defence industry based in Hertfordshire. His previous experience in steam preservation (late 1970s) was associated with 92 SQUADRON (BoBLPS). Brian was an original subscriber and founder member of The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust upon its formation in April 2011 and was appointed Chairman in 2012.
Henry Mullens FCA
Treasurer
Henry is a practising chartered accountant and partner in a business specialising in farming and agricultural accountancy and tax management, covering the eastern part of the country. Henry joined The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust as a member and was appointed Treasurer in January 2012. He is responsible for the group's financial reporting and also that of B17 Enterprises Ltd.
Nick Illingworth
Publicity, Marketing & Area Lead (Yorks/NE)
A Middle East specialist who joined the railways in 1990 to specialise in IT, Nick works as a sales lead and IT architect for a global software vendor, tasked with delivering large, complex implementation projects for major banks. Nick’s passion for LNER steam stems from watching Gresley Pacifics and other steam locomotives at work on the East Coast Main Line in the 1960s. He joined the Board in 2023.
John Pearson
IT, Membership, Website & Area Groups
John developed a practical skill set in ICT from a career involved with computer programming, systems management, and software. Later, whilst working for a multinational computing company, he moved into Software Consultancy and Sales Account Management. Retiring in 2015, he joined the Trust in 2017 through his shared interest in garden railways and is an active B17 volunteer. John also assists with Engineering aspects and is a board members of B17 Enterprises Ltd.
Alan Warren
Editor of 'The Spirit' & Publicity
Alan qualified as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1976. He spent six years working for British Rail (E.R. York) before returning to private practice in Cambridge to specialise in NHS capital investment programmes. In his spare time, Alan became a glider pilot and authored a number of railway books and articles whilst also editing house journals for the North Norfolk and Mid Norfolk Railways. Alan emigrated to Canada in 2012 but remains key to our grant applications.
Peter Wright
Project Historian
Peter retired in 2011 after 37 years as sole proprietor of the news agency at March Railway Station. With a lifelong interest in railways, Peter organises a local group raising funds in aid of railway preservation and researching railway history. He joined the Trust in 2012 and was appointed Project Historian in 2015.
Alan Lusby
Engineering & Quality Control
Alan joined the Engineering Committee in 2023 and has accepted a post on the board. He brings valuable experience from working on the new-build A1 Tornado as part of its Quality Control team.
Other Key People
John Peat
B17 Enterprises Ltd. & Archives
John retired after a 46-year career in engineering and project management roles associated with the defence industry. He became a member in 2012, providing support services to the Sandringham project, and was instrumental in setting up the management tools for the Trust. John remains through 'B17 Enterprises' meetings, advising on product design and helping in thecataloguing of archive photographs.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Read about our Technical Strategy, Finance, and Future Operations.
Read Project Overview