Model maker’s dying wish comes true
A PENSIONER given only weeks to live has seen his labour of love – a spectacular model railway – near completed.
Rail buff John Bint’s replica of the world’s oldest electric suspension train system is now 90 per cent finished thanks to the efforts of a friend and fellow modeller. The Coventry 82-year-old began the painstaking project in December.
But after suffering a stroke in April, tests revealed the grandfather-of-five had a brain tumour. Doctors have given him “weeks rather than months” to live.
After the diagnosis, Mr Bint vowed to finish the miniature version of Germany’s Wuppertal Suspension Railway.
Wife Eunice said: “His recovery from the stroke has been very good. But, of course, we don’t know what will happen.
“When he first came home from the stroke, they told us he had weeks rather than months. It has been dramatic. He may be about to die, but we don’t know. It is how long is a piece of string.
“At the moment he is keeping quite well, his speech isn’t very good. We are grateful for the time we’ve got.”
The 84-year-old former primary school teacher added: “He can’t do his model making now. So he handed over the train project to a colleague in the model society. He’s always wanted to build things and he’s always making things.
“He’s Mr Fix-It for everything. But everyone in the group is being very kind and supportive.
“We’re very lucky because when he came out of the hospital he was bed-bound to start with and couldn’t feed himself. Now all that’s fine and he’s in no pain.
“He feels all right in himself, but he is just frustrated. His speech is getting a bit dodgy. Considering how he came out of hospital, it’s been amazing.”
Mr Bint asked friend Dave Tilling, a fellow member of the G Scale Society, to complete the project.
The retired maintenance engineer for the NHS was honoured.
Mr Tilling said: “He visited the Wuppertal Railway many, many years ago. He’s since visited it a couple of times and he’s written on it.
“It was a challenge to build it, especially since we belong to the G Scale Society, which is a garden railway club. We have groups all over the country.”
The 70-year-old added: “John has a history of making and moulding things. He’s made many models for the local club.
“In one of the magazines, the society put out this challenge to build this Wuppertal Suspension Railway last year.
“John took up the challenge and had been making this model, but unfortunately, became ill. He rang me and asked if I would complete it.”