Train mad Peterborough boys speak of pride after raising £15,000 to repair arson hit historic signal box

Two boys who raised thousands of pounds to help repair a historic signal box which had been gutted in a devastating arson attack have spoken of their pride after the box was returned to its former glory.

Train mad Oliver Walker and Harry Cowley, both aged 12, were left heartbroken following the attack on the Nene Valley Railway signal box in March this year.

But the pair vowed to help – eventually raising £15,000 to help fix the box.

They were labelled as ‘heroes’ by the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade for their efforts

Now repairs are almost complete – and the best friends have said they are delighted with the work.

Oliver said he had been ‘distraught’ by what had happened when he first heard. He said: “I felt very sad when I heard the news from Harry. I thought he was joking at first, but when I went to see the damage the next day. was distraught about it.”

Harry said: “We thought we could raise some money for it. “We didn’t think we wouldn’t get over £100, but we thought every little helps. I asked my mum to set up a fundraising page.

"The first day we had about £300, so we set our target to £1,500. The second day, £1,600. The money kept rising until we had about £15,000.”

To help raise the cash, the pair took part in a walk from the Peterborough station at Nene Valley Railway, to the Wansford station. They were joined on the walk by firefighters who tackled the blaze.

On the day of the walk, the rain poured down – but Harry said ‘the rain can’t stop us – good always wins.”

The pair hit the headlines for their incredible efforts, even earning a silver Blue Peter badge.

And Harry said he was proud their legacy would live on.

He said: “It (the repaired signal box) is very beautiful – when we are older and we go trainspotting, and we go past it, we will think ‘we did this, we should be very proud of ourselves”

Oliver also shared an important message for others, saying: “This is a message for everyone – do something good.”

Kim Shaw from Nene Valley Railway confirmed that the repairs were 'nearing completion’ with shutters installed earlier this week.

The final stages of work are now taking place on the signalling equipment.

Two men, one aged 32 and one aged 31, who were arrested in connection with the arson have been released under investigation by police.