PETERSKELTON 1949-2020
PETERJ CSkelton,a leading railwayphotographerfor morethan 55years,hasdied.
Hepassedawaywhile out walking with hiswife when hecollapsedwith a suspectedheart attack. Hewas71.
Peter(or Skellyas he was known)wasnot only highly respectedand well-liked, he was highly skilled in the art of blackand white photograph printing.
Hiswork was much admired,and had one of his first photographspublished in TheRMAugust 1964issue, when hewasonly 15.
Hewasthe author of severalbooks,and his images regularlyappearedin the railwaymonthliesand on calendars.
RMconsultanteditor Nick Pigott recallsPeterhad a brushwith deathwhile in SouthAfricain July 1990, when standing by the lineside,a loco coupling rod flew off and missedhim by a matter of inches.
In recenttimes,he had often lookedaheadat the weatherforecastin the LakeDistrict and would nip up for a coupleof days photographingthe fellswith his mediumformat cameras.
At the time of hisdeath he was presidentof the TewkesburyYMCA RailwaySociety,of which he wasa memberfor morethan 30 years.
Therewill be a private family funeral becauseof Covid-19restrictions.
However,someof his photographercolleaguesare hoping to hold a memorial servicelater in the year.
Peterissurvivedby hiswife Danutaand daughtersKelly, Kalinaand Kirsty. - - -
THEWestMidlandsRailExecutive (WMREh)asconfirmedit has agreeda timetablewith Network Railto restartpassengesrervices betweenWolverhamptonand Walsall.
It is 12yearssincethe two were directlyconnectedwith a regularservicedespitethe seven-miledistancebetween them.Themovealsomeans the reopeningofWillenhalland Darlastonstationsw, hichclosedin January1965.
Theproposailsfor an hourly servicebetweenWalsalal nd WolverhamptonH. owever, therewill beanadditional separatehourlyservicebetween BirminghamNewStreetand Wolverhamptona,lsocallingat Willenhalal ndDarlastonaswell TameBridgeParkway.
Thiswill beachievedby re-routingLondonNorthwestern servicesrunningbetweenCrewe andBirmingham. WMREsaysWillenhaslltation will besitednextto the Bilston Streetrailwaybridge,closeto the town centre,while Darlaston stationwill be built on derelict landnextto the KendricksRoad bridge.
Constructionof the newstations isdueto beginearlynextyear, with the aimof havingthem open bythe endof 2022. WestMidlandsMayorAndy Streetwelcomedthe news agreemenht asbeenreachedwith NetworkRail. Hesaid:"TheWalsaltlo Wolverhamptonrailcorridoris an importantpart of our plansto regenerateandrevitalisethisarea of the BlackCountry.
"It will actasa catalysto unlock swathesof landfor industrial, commerciaal ndhousing development:'