Railway Enthusiasts (or one of Norfolk's few industries)
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Many enthusiasts manifest themselves in their writings. Many of the fortunate ones were also railway employees: some were employed in the public relations and publicity and were natural writers: one thinks of George Dow and D.S.M. Barrie. A few were professional engineers, some were on the design side (Cox and Holcroft) and others on the operating side (Dunn and Dick Hardy). Many were more difficult to place: C.J. Allen was a materials inspector, Nock worked for a major supplier of signalling systems. Ian Carter has just written a book British railway enthusiasm, but as it costs £60 (or about four videos, the sole expensive items purchased by the candidate "City of Culture") it is unlikely to be purchased by Breckland Public Library and KPJ is loath to pay £2.50 when his bus pass now permits a free exit from the bibliographical desert..

This page is mainly intended to fill in the gaps with people like Alan Pegler and Tony Marchington who have contributed greatly to the preservation of remnants from the steam age. It is hoped that earlier enthusiasts may also be brought to light: Marchington and Pegler need not be paradigms there was T.R. Perkins who travelled the length and breadth of Britain and the chance find of a librarian (Appleby Miller).

McAlpine, Sir William
Born 12 January 1936. Educated Charterhouse. Military career in Life Guards. Has sufficient financial resources to be able to play at trains on the grand scale. Associated in ownership of Flying Scotsman and Pendennis Castle. Website with McAlpine's own description of his railway enthusiam

Marchington, Tony
Owner of the Oxford Molecular Group and Cambridge Combinatorial, and sometime employer of one of KPJ's son-in-laws (and therefore impacted upon KPJ's movements), and sometime owner of Flying Scotsman. See Nicholson.

Miller, R.N. Appleby
Rly Mag., 1943, 89 (548), 378 recorded the death on 21 June 1943 of Mr Appleby Miller, a Librarian (FLA) on the staff of Newcastle Central Library. He was a member of the Stephenson Locomotive Society and contributed an article to The Engineer (18 September 1931) Link in the history of the locomotive concerning an early George Stephenson locomotive.

Pegler, Alan
For a long time was Chairman of the Northern Rubber Co, whose factory is still visible from the ECML as the train races through Retford. For many years entertained railway enthusiasts by the motive power employed on his works outings. These included Northern Rubber.s dining special to Blackpool in 1952, with 480 passengers and this led to him joining the Eastern Regional Board as a part-time non-executive in 1954. Another of his specials ran from Leeds to London hauled by preserved Atlantics. Henry Oakley and No 251 from the old York museum driven by the famous Hoole and Hailstone. The run was spectacular: 80 mile/h down Stoke Bank. Alan stuck up a close friendship with Bill Hoole, Bill joining Pegler on the Festiniog, In 1959, Bill Hoole took Sir Nigel Gresley on a SLS special from London to York. Demand for footplate passes was high. To solve the impasse, Alan, as a Board member, was asked to occupy the fourth position in the cab. How could he refuse? Alan remembers the exciting run; the train exceeded 100 mph north of Hitchin on the down, and set a post-war speed record of 112 mile/h on the return. Pegler acquired Flying Scotsman in 1963. See Nicholson. Pegler was also associated with the re-opening of the Festiniog Railway . Control of the Festiniog passed to the preservation team in June 1954, with Pegler as its first Chairman.

Perkins, T.R.
By 1932 Perkins, a "chemist" (presumably pharmacist) from Henley-in-Arden had managed to travel over all passenger carrying lines in the British Isles. He was married, but he and his wife took separate holidays (as she stayed behind to look after the shop)..
Tourret, R. Mr. T.R. Perkins: track-basher extraordinary. Br. Rly J, 2008 (74).74-9.

Waterman, Pete
Made his tin from managing stars in popular music. Has shown an interest in acquiring diesel locomotives and running trains. For a time had a stake in Flying Scotsman. Considerable amount of material relating to him on the Internet, but little of it relates to his railway enthusiasm.

Webster, V. R[ay]
Obituary notice by Paul Karau (Br. Rly J. (37) p. 352) records that Ray Webster was born in Reading in 1912, was educated Reading School, became a textiles salesman, served during WW2 in Leicestershire Regiment, rose through ranks to Captain, retrained as teacher, taught geography, became head, reired 1972, died 3 March 1991. His diaries are one of the joys of British Railway Journal. .
The Diaries of V.R. Webster. [Part 1]. 262-4.
Begins with a brief autobiographical introduction which includes the presumption that the author was writing a book ["when writing this book"]. Includes diagram of SECR station at Reading and illus. of 2-4-0T Shanklin at Ryde Esplanade on 29 May 1922. Part 2 page 293.
The Diaries of V.R. Webster. Part 17. Br. Rly J., 8, 297-308.
Subtitled the Chronicles of a Welsh tour beginning on 25 July 1931 using a GWR Circular Tour Ticket.