Len Newman - RIP

[Western Star]

Today I have been informed by David Stapleton (Precision Paints) that Len Newman has died. Len was found dead at his home when one of his Sons made a visit. David was not able to say either what was the cause of death or date of a funeral.

 

Len was - I believe - the creator of K&L trackwork, later C&L trackwork and subsequently (part?) owner of Exactoscale; even though Len and I chatted about how the businesses came about I was never sure that I heard the whole story - especially that surrounding the P4 Track Co. - and I doubt that I shall now.

 

The current pandemic has pevented me from visiting Len since the end of 2019 and the telephone conversations in that period suddenly seem such a poor recompense for all that Len had given me over that last twenty years.

 

Len - RIP.

 

Graham Beare

Edited August 31, 2021 by Western Star

[Miss Prism]

This is very sad news. I had many conversations with Len over the years, and his knowledge of die-sinking and plastic moulding was comprehensive. In recent times, he was in the long process of resurrecting some of the Exactoscale designs, and some 7mm products can be seen on the Precision Paints site. He did become depressed because dementia struck his partner, who went into a care home. Len's failing eyesight prevented him from driving, and he became housebound to an extent, which frustrated him enormously. Nevertheless, he remained very enthusiastic about future projects and products. The worlds of 4mm and 7mm finescale owe him an enormous debt - he was a true pioneer.

[andy1626]

I first met Len at an exhibition where he was showing off his latest invention - a 4mm brick building system. He was very interested in our Layout that we had at the show and asked if he could come along and join our little group (east London S$ soc).

On chatting with him he explained that he was a pattern maker and was  looking for something to relieve the boredom of making double glazing bits. We suggested he made some better scale track and so K&L came into being (Len changed the name to C&L shortly after. I took the first bit of track Len made to an EM expo  and showed it around. It was criticised by a member of the EM Soc. for the rail being to close to the ground. On returning home Len and I went over the track with a fine measuring device. The only thing that wasn't completely scale was the jaws that hold the rail. That was because the rail couldn't be drawn to scale dimensions or it would disintegrate when you tried to use it. We were pretty sure we were right because we had purloined an actual chair from a disused siding in Gidea Park. Both Len and I then decided we could probably make a turnout from the chairs and so the first point was built, one by me, one by Len. We both produced them at the same time much to everyone's amusement.

There were some modifications from the early chairs mainly at Alan Gibson request as he saw more potential in a less specific design which could be used in any gauge and it was he who first took on the retailing of the system. From that time Len made many more different chairs and rail fixings and most people are aware of his track by now if not the origins. He was constantly inovating and even in the last few years had produced pattern drawings for even better track.

He will be sorely missed and his contribution to making our railways  more realistic and more prototypical has been immense. I'm sure quite a lot of people who had never built track were encouraged by the availability of lens track system.

I shall miss him too as friend for many years.

[Bulwell Hall]

Very sad news this - Len's work was one of the major factors in making finescale railway modelling a viable practicality.  I well remember the excitement he caused with the introduction of the K&L range at Scalefourum many years ago - it would have been way back in the City Uni days IIRC.  He went on to develop the Exactoscale system which, to my mind, produces the best traditional bullhead track yet and I am pleased to have been able to use it extensively on my own project.  His contribution - along with that of Brian Rogers with his Ultrascale wheels - has enabled accurate modelling and satisfactory running to be achieved thus bringing satisfaction to many finescale modellers over the years.

 

Thanks for everything Len - it really is appreciated - RIP.

 

Gerry Beale

[Paul Cram]

Lens conribution to finescale modelling is enormous and especially to P4 trackwork with his P4 pointy kits which made making pointwork accessible to a greater number of people. He will be missed by those of us who counted him a friend.

 

RIP Len

[Not Jeremy]

Really sad news, I never met Len but he has very clearly made a huge contribution to the success of finescale railway modelling in this country.

 

What I am guessing many here may not know is that his skill was very happily applied to track components in Gauge One, in which scale (1/32) he made a small range of absolutely brilliant track components for Cliff Barker, who was also brave enough at more or less the same time to produce a scale rail section, code 180.

 

So Len's genius has also massively illuminated Gauge One modelling in the UK, which is arguably otherwise more or less still in the "Dark Ages".

 

 Here is some trackwork made using Cliff's code 180 rail with Len's brilliant track components.

 

RIP Len and thank you very much!

Edited August 31, 2021 by Not Jeremy
typo

[10800]

Very sad. I've not spoken to Len for several years but C&L and P4Track Company components have underpinned my modelling for a long time. The bulk purchase of P4TC point kit components I arranged with him have eventually gone down on Lewes in the last 18 months or so.

 

RIP Len.

[Pint of Adnams]

A little more about Len's background here index.htm (permaway.co.uk), on Richard McLeish's Permaway website - Richard is also Karlgarin Models, a reseller and distributor of Len's products.

 

RIP Len, and thank you for your substantial contribution to railway modelling.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Pint of Adnams