THANKS FOR 40

Congratulations on 500 issues of Steam Railway. As a reader from issue 1, I always look forward to getting the latest one, and I still have all the issues packed away in plastic boxes in my small flat.

The railway preservation movement has come a long way since those days of autumn of 1979. At the time, it was said that the group wanting to preserve No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester was mad. Imagine if somebody said then that, in the latter part of the 20th century, a group would build a full-sized standard gauge locomotive. I think the men in white coats would have paid a visit. Imagine the reaction if social media was available then.

A lot has happened in the last 40 years in the preservation movement; thanks to dedicated enthusiasts, preserved railways now contribute so much to the country’s economy as well as giving people a good day out, and not just enthusiasts like your readers.

We really have two men to thank. Firstly, the much maligned Dr Richard Beeching. Had he not axed the lines, we would have had virtually nowhere to run. Secondly, to Dai Woodham for selling the locomotives he’d bought for scrap to preservationists. We should also thank the volunteers who repair and run the various preserved lines and centres in the country.

On a personal note, I would like to thank David Wilcock for producing Steam Railway in 1979 as this rekindled my interest in railways, from being a trainspotter in the 1950s. I think my life would have been poorer without my renewed interest, but the less said about my wallet the better!

Mike Howell, Folkestone

GREAT MEN OF STEAM

Issue 500 included a number of personalities, two of whom I remember fondly.

I first met Bill Ford when he was MD of the family company Ford & Slater that provided commercial vehicle services. When I walked into his office in Leicester, the first thing I noticed was a fine large