Living & Working With Trains

Following on from our Branch AGM, Richard Cole gave us a presentation on “Living & Working with Trains”. The first section was his growing up with former RCTS Vice President David Cole and our Branch founder. Richard visited from a young age with Mum & Dad to various preserved railways, went on several rail tours, shed visits and really having David’s enthusiasm installed in himself. We also saw several photographs from the travels of the family on many RCTS rail tours including The Northern Heights tour, The Jubilee Requiem A4 tour, The Lincoln Imp tour and many more. We also saw several of David’s other photographs such as the first EMU through Hitchin following electrification of the ECML, a Class 313 special train to mark the occasion. Richard himself worked for the railway in many various rolls all his working life, from an office boy at Paddington to being involved with the new Class 800’s in the West Country. His many posts included working for Red Star Parcels, Freight Line / Channel Tunnel Freight & several more, this work took him to many places including Hitachi in Japan where we saw Class 800 body shells being produced and the work of gauge acceptance and platform alterations in the Devon and Cornwall, to being present for the 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Bridge. A fascinating evening covering the seventy or so years of railway real enthusiasm.

Dave Elsdon
Branch Secretary