LORD NELSON ENGINEER JESSE MOODY DIES
Lord Nelson’s former chief mechanical engineer and noted miniature locomotive builder Jesse Moody has died aged 67, writes IAN HINESAUNDERS.
Born on October 20 1952 and one of preservation’s most enigmatic characters, Jesse was a mechanic by trade and owned his own garage in Eastleigh, which he sold in 2003. He was also the Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society’s chief mechanical engineer during ‘LN’ No. 850 Lord Nelson’s overhaul at Eastleigh in the late 1990s and later went on to become a fitness-to-run examiner for EWS, now DB Cargo, which allowed Carol, his wife, and pet dogs to join him in their motorhome.
He was also a very competent engineer of miniature locomotives in 7¼in and 10¼in gauges and oversaw the restorations and rebuilds of several locomotives from the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway fleet, including Bullock ‘2000’ class 4-6-2 No. 2006 Edward VIII. He also built several miniature locomotives: a 10¼in gauge Lord Nelson, an air-smoothed No. 21C1 Channel Packet and rebuilt No. 35004 Cunard White Star for the ELSR in 2007, 2010 and 2016 respectively, and a 7¼in Lord Nelson and ‘Schools’ No. 903 Blundells, both of which are now in private hands.
Sadly, owing to arthritis and a knee replacement, his days of clambering over locomotives became more problematic and he reluctantly had to give up his FTR role. Jesse then suffered a stroke which cruelly robbed him of his memory and the capacity to operate in an engineering environment.
He was a skilful engineer, always happy to offer advice, and although he was difficult to get to know – having a rather colourful turn of phrase for those he didn’t get on with – once he accepted you, you had a friend for life.
Jesse will be sorely missed by many standard gauge groups and by everyone at the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway, and we offer our condolences to Carol and the family.