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Railway & Modelling Obituaries

Bob Alderman YMRG


Guest Jack Benson
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Guest Jack Benson

Dave Sapp just rang with the sad news that we have lost Bob Aldermann.

 

Bob was a good friend to so many folk, a stalwart of the Yeovil Group and GOG and father/husband. 
 

First met Bob in the mid70s when the group was meeting in the attic at Coker Manor, I was just setting up home in Yeovil and Bob Was always ready to offer help and encouragement. We last saw him at the Taunton show in ‘18 with the late Bob Oaksford,  since then we have been following Bob through his friends and television appearances. 
 

Still stunned, please excuse my prose.

 

Cheers and Stay Safe
 

 

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Excellent model maker as well as past chairman of the Gauge 0 Guild technical committee. His G0G Gazette articles on basic chassis assembly, Slater's wheelset preparation and many other topics beginners were afraid to ask about , were models of clarity. More recently, I was involved in designing elements of his planned GT3 model - notwithstanding the dreadful chronic illness that he suffered from and which finally took him from us. RIP Bob.

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I've known Bob my whole life, as a friend of dad and, later, as a fellow modeller. Originally from Northamptonshire he moved to Montacute to join Westland Helicopters in Yeovil in the '70s and was among other things a supporter of the Yeovil branch of the Monster Raving Loony Party (genuinely true!). He was prolific in EM and later in O gauge and was responsible for the design and construction of much of South Junction in EM and later Gasworks and most recently The Summit in O. Always an innovator, he dabbled with etched brass in the '70s (including the 'Yeovil Coupling', an etched version of the Jackson), and despite the cruel advance of Motor Neuron Disease in the last few years continued modelling in person and by proxy as therapy.

 

We shared a love of industrial railways and St Teilo, seen below, is one of his, passed on to me when he finally abandoned EM.
 

Hunslet_004.jpg.310619c384d0f15bd450630a0ba4e88d.jpg

 

His last published work can be found on the YMRG website: https://yeovilmrg.org/modelling-wisdom/. The club have published a brief obit here: https://yeovilmrg.org/

 

He'd probably see his most lasting testimony as his involvement with Tornado along with fellow Westland engineer and YMRG member, Dave Elliot.

A kind and decent man, always ready with thoughts and a compliment, he'll be much missed. My thoughts and yours, I hope, will be with Sheila and his family.

Adam

 

Edited by Adam
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Very sad news. 

 

I'd known Bob for several years, first meeting at the Yeovil club when in the roof rooms of an old mansion. Then frequently meeting and chatting at various exhibitions. Even in his poor health and limited mobility in recent years, he was always gracious, friendly and wanting to chat.

 

Sadly missed.

 

RIP Bob

 

 

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Bob was a veritable mine of information when it came to model making.  I knew him as a long-standing and excellent tutor at Missenden Abbey where he helped many, many modellers not just in 7mm but other gauges as well.  If there was question to do with metal, anything, then Bob was the go-to person.  I learned a lot from him for which I shall be eternally grateful.

 

He will be missed very much as a tutor, modeller, friend and all-round good chap.

 

This is a picture of his railbus which he brought along one weekend.

 

railbus_5160.png.0a9af41b39bcc6e5338f6fee8094d5f4.png

 

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Very sad news. 

 

When  Martin Brent was head tutor at Missenden Abbey in 1996, Bob was  one of the three original tutors. He was a great person to be with and an excellent tutor right up to the time when his illness stopped him coming to the Abbey.

 

Suffering as he did, I would say he was one of the bravest people I knew because of the way he continued his modelling life despite the horrible effects of his illness. I remember seeing him recently on TV and thinking what a  remarkable man Bob was.

 

He will be sadly missed and I am sure fondly remembered.

 

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Very sad news. Like many others, Bob was a massive influence to me in my younger years, had so much enthusiasm for our hobby and was full of encouragement. I'll be forever grateful for his help and support.

 

Adam's summed up Bob's achievements brilliantly, he was so proud of Tornado.

 

RIP Bob

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A regular at York where I met up with him on many occasions. Always helpful and enthusiastic.

Was saddened when he told me a couple of year's ago about his illness and that he would not be able to return to York again.

 

RIP Bob

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I got to know Bob when I got started in O gauge some years and it was always a pleasure to bump into Bob and hear about his latest project, particularly when his interest moved onto the Light Railways of Colonel Stephens.

I will miss seeing him around, cheer Bob.

 

John Bruce.

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  • 7 months later...

Just caught up with this sad news; we have lost a lovely guy. I met Bob when I joined the Missenden group shortly after taking up the hobby. His friendly, welcoming and helpful attitude towards a beginner confirmed I had chosen a worthwhile interest.  An enforced break of six years whilst switching to a 12"/ft scale restoration has kept me away from the hobby until lockdown brought me back. So much has changed, so many past chums and their skills are lost to us in such a short time.

 

Nick Platt

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