Forgotten Steam - Ron White (ex Colour Rail)

[Robin Fell]

Totem Publishing have just launched a colour album featuring the work of Nick Nicolson. This was from a small collection of slides held by the Transport Treasury, which had not really seen the light of day. The idea of using this material came from Ron White - ex Colour Rail, and features light captionning in his unique style. Not a heavy -tome but some great images and a gentle trip around BR in the late 1950s.

 

Ron's description of the book

 

Well, well, well – was ever a more curious picture book offered to any wondering purchaser? No A1/A3/A4 No Princess Royal/Royal Scot/Patriot No MN/Schools No Grange/Manor No Britannia/Clan/5MT/9F and yet it shows the real life of the 1950s, the odd corners which would have no future. Has any railway book ever shared the wise words of a major author/a Poet Laureate/Eric Morecambe and that wise old owl Anon who so often, in a crisis, found the telling phrase (and if he couldn’t, I generally could).

Thinking back over a long life associated with railways but never an official part of them it’s amazing what I got away with; not many insurance men have had hold of an A4 on an Aberdeen – Glasgow (although I did have a pass for that) or regularly fired and drove the 17.00 Marylebone – Woodford as far as Amersham (the crews loved watching my starched white collar wilt and go grey with worry, my wife was less amused when I got home late and filthy). Now rising 90 I’ve had a new lease of life – thanks to a young man who took a punt at a venture, more, please!

 

Available here

https://totempublishing.co.uk/product/forgotten-steam-photographed-by-nick-nicolson/

 

[bike2steam]

Anything, as long as it's not a video with him talking on it

[Ray H]

Nice to know Ron is still alive and kicking. He has a wicked sense of humour and I bet he could tell some wonderful tales, many of which would be worth capturing.

[bike2steam]

44 minutes ago, Ray H said:

Nice to know Ron is still alive and kicking. He has a wicked sense of humour and I bet he could tell some wonderful tales, many of which would be worth capturing.

Yep, his humour was normally at the expense of anything to do with the GWR. I remember a talk by him at the Wimborne Railway Club, his 'humour' was the reason for Rex Kennedy (original OPC, 'Steam Days' etc), who was in the audience, getting up, and leaving early. He later said to me 'you can only take so much of that man'!!!!????