Farewell to a Railway Magazine stalwart
IT is with great sadness this month that we say farewell to our longtime contributor and friend Peter Nicholson. Peter passed away at the end of October, shortly after writing his final news stories for our November issue, after almost a quarter of a century in charge of the Classic Traction and Miniature News sections.
Peter was well known and respected within the railway community, being a regular visitor to standard gauge, narrow gauge, and miniature lines all across the country. Not only that, but he also owned or helped preserve a great number of locomotives and other rail vehicles, many of which might not have otherwise survived.
On a personal level, he was very knowledgeable about all things rail and would submit his news stories like clockwork. But behind all that, he had a great sense of humour and could often be relied on for a wry comment, sometimes delivered with a mischievous glint in his eye.
In more recent times, Peter was assisted in news gathering by his grandson Josh, and I am pleased to announce that Josh will be carrying on that work from this issue, writing Miniature and Classic Traction stories – in the latter case assisting our other new correspondent, the awardwinning photographer Jack Boskett. We welcome them both to the team, and know that Peter’s reporting is the standard they will be striving to match.
From The RM team
Peter’s passing has cast a rather sombre cloud over our editorial office, but as the year end approaches we would like to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We hope you enjoy our free 2024 calendar (UK copies only), maybe take advantage of some of the gift opportunities offered by our advertisers, or get to visit one of the increasing number of heritage lines that are open over the holidays (see the various diary sections in ‘Track Record’ for listings). And, during any quiet moments, why not look back over your photos from this year and enter the free RCTS competition. There are some great prizes up for grabs with nothing to lose, so turn to page 17 for more details and get uploading for a chance to win!