Andrew's interest in railways started at primary school. We spent most weekends at Bristol Temple Meads station, dashing from platform to platform to await the arrival of trains, hoping they would be hauled by locomotives we hadn't seen before. Andrew was armed with a copy of Bradshaw, so he knew which trains were due. We also had our copies of Ian Allan books, so we could mark off the engines we saw. Andrew's knowledge of railways, even at that age, was impressive. He baffled me with descriptions of valve gear, regulators and compound engines. Not bad for a 10yr old.
A few years later, when we could afford to, we took trips on Campbell's paddle steamers, along the Avon Gorge to Portishead, Clevedon and Weston Super Mare, returning by train to Temple Meads. Needless to say, we were more interested in watching the paddle steamer's steam engines than the scenery. In 1955, aged 13, we visited the railway works at Swindon and saw a full-size wooden mock-up of the prototype diesel multiple units that were later built there. I lost contact with Andrew when he left Bristol to work at English Electric. We met briefly, in 1970, ironically on a platform at Temple Meads Station. He was returning to Stafford and I was off to London for a university interview. If wasn't for Andrew (and his parents who took us to Burrington Combe) I would not have developed such an interest in rocks, and would not have become a professional geologist.
By chance we met again, 40+ years later! I can't remember how. I know I had been attending the annual motorbike show at Stafford showground, where the Model Engineering Society has its track. Andrew introduced me to his lovely family, Jen, Pete, and Tim. He took me to Amerton to meet the family's other Jenny and I visited again on subsequent years, regrettable not often enough. Increasing age, dense traffic on the M6, and the fact that we lived almost 300 miles apart made visits difficult.
Rest in peace, Andrew.
Richard W
Richard Whittle
12/12/2024
