Correspondence to The Spinney Light Railway
From Adrian Parker
Received December 2011
Hello,
I have just found your web site and it brings back many happy memories. As an ex resident of Elstead it was our local railway. I still pass by during my occasional visits to the UK.
The picture of the early Spinney box is during a visit of the Farnham and District Model Railway Club in 1982, these were annual events and at many other times club members would be seen around the Spinney helping Joe. Myke Baigent did a lot of the wiring.
My father is the gentleman with his arms folded standing behind the box, unusually without his camera. Being a fellow civil engineer Joe and he chatted at great lengths about all of the work. The person in the first carriage is Percy Riddle, who was President of the Farnham Club. Behind is probably Paula Martin.
We also have quite a bit of cine film and slides of the railway over the years. Joe came round to our house a few times to view the films and run our OO gauge railway as well as chatting at great lengths about the Lake District and it's railways, another of his loves.
To get to the very bottom of the cutting the front wheels on the JCB were jacked up to extend the reach of the rear arm. Joe once demonstrated this using tea spoons during the buffet which was always part of the club's visit. Although he never accepted any money the club members would always make a suitable donation to a charity of Joe's choice.
For some time there was also a Midland Railway 0-4-4 tank, an unusual model in any scale. My father built a OO gauge version which intrigued Joe. After that dad went on to build a Spinner in OO with moving connecting rods and Joe said he would have liked one in 7 1/4".
After visiting Joe's railway I wanted a live steamer and started on a 3 1/2" Molly, that is still unfinished, as after getting an opportunity to drive I was hooked on the larger scales at ground level. I am now involved with 7 1/4" railways here in Italy and take my locos to various tracks. All kicked off by visits to The Spinney all those years ago.
Many thanks for publishing those pictures.
Adrian Parker
Via Villafranca
ITALY