Here are some pictures taken today at the Merstham (Surrey, UK) Live Steam Show; passenger carrying miniature railways outdoors and one or two shots of a portable gauge one track. The final picture is of the octogenarian president of G1MRA, Maj Gen Robert Houghton. Ben [ 19 May 2001: Message edited by: Ben ]
Hi Ben, Arrived home after good flight over. Still catching up on jet lag! Signed up as member and had a chance to look at your Merstham pictures-Well done. Not very agile at moving around this web site yet but hopefully you will get this message. Thanks for all your help and hospitality Cheers Paulnull
Hi Paul - great to hear from you and glad you had a good journey home. I hope the Trainboard administrators won't mind me welcoming you to Trainboard on their and all the other members' behalf. Tomorrow I am going to visit someone quite near here (only 25 mins in the car) who builds real diesel electrics in 16mm/ft scale to run on 0 gauge or gauge 1 track (yes that's right, you read right, REAL diesel electrics!); he will demonstrate his prototype and I hope to get some good pictures which I will then post on the 'board. If I am "hooked" when I see the engine I may have to think of some fund raising plans so as to be able to commission a model! Looking forward to some more posts from you; I will start scanning the CPR and CNR fora for local news from you and, hopefully, photography! Ben
Just got back from holiday, and saw these photographs, Ben. Looks like a great event! I know someone who goes regularly, and has a great time. What a splendid character is Major General Houghton! At a G1MRA AGM a few years ago, someone handed him a microphone, and he pushed it away, saying "I don't need a b****y microphone!" - And he didn't
Yes, I was at that AGM too! Wasn't that the meeting at which he referred to "that scythe man" and how he was waiting for him to come and claim him? Well, its several years on and the Maj Gen seems as hale and hearty as ever, if not more, and I sincerely hope that the scythe man has to wait a good few years more before his beckoning has to be obeyed. Ben
Yes, I know "the grim reaper" is the usual phrase but the expression Maj Gen Houghton used was definitely "that scythe man" or "the man with the scythe"; I only hope I am as active and independent in 30+ years time!
