Tony Miles RIP

[Andrewr]

i everyone,

 

Just a very quick note to say that P4 pioneer and well-known Irish Railways modeller Tony Miles has passed away. Many of us saw his wonderful layout Adavoyle Junction on the show circuit over the years, not to mention his brilliant handbuilt steam locomotives (complete with inside working valve gear).

 

It was a real privilege to know Tony and under very close supervision to operate Adavoyle at a number of shows. Irish railway modelling in particular and railway modelling in general will miss him very, very much.

 

But his memory lives on at South Dublin Model Railway Club, where you can see just what a marvellous contribution Tony made. Here's a link for anyone who missed out first time... http://www.sdmrc.hobbysites.net/articles.php?article_id=4

 

 

Let's hope he's enjoying the Bushmills 'upstairs' eh?

 

Andy Roden

[10800]

That's very sad news - RIP Tony, Adavoyle was always a pleasure to watch.

[beast66606]

RIP Tony.

 

I knew him the the 1970s when he was constructing Adavoyle (the original) at the Merseyside MRS, along with Dave Goodwin and others.

[Horsetan]

Very sorry to hear of this. I had the privilege of helping to set up and operate "Adavoyle Junction" at the Chatham Show over a decade ago. I still have Tony's letter of thanks.

Although "Adavoyle" emigrated to South Dublin quite a while ago, it is to be hoped that the lads there will continue to look after it properly now that its creator is no longer keeping an eye on them! It is a quite unique layout, and I doubt that anyone will create anything so complex in Irish modelling ever again.

[Andrewr]

Very sorry to hear of this. I had the privilege of helping to set up and operate "Adavoyle Junction" at the Chatham Show over a decade ago. I still have Tony's letter of thanks.

 

Although "Adavoyle" emigrated to South Dublin quite a while ago, it is to be hoped that the lads there will continue to look after it properly now that its creator is no longer keeping an eye on them! It is a quite unique layout, and I doubt that anyone will create anything so complex in Irish modelling ever again.

Tony was a one-off, and I operated Adavoyle at three shows and wrote a very personal feature on the layout just before it headed to Dublin in Hornby Magazine. We wondered when his wife sadly passed away at the York show a good few years ago how he'd cope, but true to form the show went on, and like many others I'll cherish my memories of time spent with him. I'm hoping to write a more detailed obit in the pages of Hornby Magazine in the next issue... if any other editors would like to pay tribute, please drop me a line - I'm sure Mike will be happy for the words to appear across the rail press as thanks to one of the genuine pioneers of finescale modelling.

[Andrewr]

Apologies for the continued burst of posts on Tony - I'm sure he'd rather I was concentrating on my own modelling - but he wrote a wonderful piece in the August 2006 edition of BRM which is on (and with the Editor of BRM's permission just this once I'd like to post a link to) https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/userfiles/files/brm036-042%20Adavoyle.pdf

 

Truly a railway modelling pioneer, and I know that Tony's family would be proud to hear people's memories of him here.

 

Andy

[martin_wynne]

I had a phone call giving me the sad news yesterday, and I've been thinking about Tony a lot since.

Tony was a churchwarden and lay preacher at his village church, and I'm a confirmed atheist. This was the source of much friendly banter between us over the years. He knows the answer now -- let's hope he was right all along and I'm wrong.

It's a Sunday afternoon in October 1982 -- difficult to believe that is now over 30 years ago. The West Mercian EM Gauge Group are holding their monthly meeting, and this month it is being held in my old track-making workshop in Worcester. Norman Fincham had rung me earlier to say that he had bumped into a P4 modeller in a Hereford model shop, and would be bringing him along.

Tony Miles duly arrived, bringing with him a few of his superb scratch-built locomotives. Irish railways were largely an unknown quantity among the EM fraternity in Worcester at the time, but we could immediately see that we were looking at models of rare quality, resplendent in the wonderful sky blue livery of the old GNR(I). While our eyes were lighting up at such sights, Tony's eyes were lighting up at my stock of trackwork components and tools.

What I didn't know then, but like many others was soon to find out, was that once Tony had decided that you were going to help him build his dream layout, there was no backing out. Accordingly three of us found ourselves visiting him near Ludlow a few days later. He had recently moved there and had a layout room built over his double garage. It then contained the first Adavoyle layout, which was the property of the Merseyside Model Railway Society. He explained that this was to be swept away, and replaced with a new bigger layout Adavoyle Junction -- and we were going to help him build it.

Within days I was receiving regular envelopes of layout plans, followed by a phone call to discuss the latest revisions. Eventually a design was finalised, and work began. There followed 20 happy years in which helping to build Adavoyle Junction occupied all my modelling time. Many others were similarly recruited to the cause of building a layout fit to show off his locomotives at their best. Tony was one of life's characters and there were many hilarious occasions when things didn't go quite right on a work night. And even more when the layout went out on the exhibition circuit.

Happily Tony had the foresight in 2009 to find a permanent home for his layout, and it is now in the care of the South Dublin Model Railway Club -- http://www.sdmrc.hobbysites.net/articles.php?article_id=4 . Pictures: http://www.sdmrc.hobbysites.net/photogallery.php?album_id=5

Here is Tony on the left (never without his optivisor) in the Dublin clubroom with one of his locomotives:



And here is Adavoyle Junction being exhibited at the Ulster Transport Museum in November 2004. Tony is bottom left with his arm on the baseboard:



More pictures of the layout: http://templot.com/GNRI/adavoyle.htm

Rest in peace, Tony -- and thanks.

Martin.

[Andrewr]

Well said Martin :-)

 

I'll always remember my dad (Gordon) banging on about this incredible Irish layout that I simply MUST see and being sceptical about his claims. After all, as a son that's what you do. And then I got cajoled into helping out at a show - Epsom in 2001/2 it must have been - and I realised the old boy might know something after all. The layout was utterly impenetrable for a newcomer to operate and it was only thanks to Tony, his son Paul, Jim, Joe, Dad and all the other chaps who were there that I didn't cause utter catastrophe!

 

I think my fondest memories though are of going down with Dad on a Tuesday evening (I think it was a Tuesday but I may be wrong) and just listening to Tony talk about life, railways and anything else that came to mind over a glass of the good stuff in his house in Shropshire. I can't remember the content, but the atmosphere and that ever so slightly smoky burr of his accent will stay with me forever. Very happy times, cherished memories, and as you can tell, like you Martin I've been thinking a lot about him the last few days.

 

So, I think it would be only just if all of us who helped out (or in my case, tried not to hinder) made a journey over the water this Summer to see Adavoyle and raise a glass to Tony... what do you think?

 

Andy

[Andrewr]

Well said Martin :-)

I'll always remember my dad (Gordon) banging on about this incredible Irish layout that I simply MUST see and being sceptical about his claims. After all, as a son that's what you do. And then I got cajoled into helping out at a show - Epsom in 2001/2 it must have been - and I realised the old boy might know something after all. The layout was utterly impenetrable for a newcomer to operate and it was only thanks to Tony, his son Paul, Jim, Joe, Dad and all the other chaps who were there that I didn't cause utter catastrophe!

I think my fondest memories though are of going down with Dad on a Tuesday evening (I think it was a Tuesday but I may be wrong) and just listening to Tony talk about life, railways and anything else that came to mind over a glass of the good stuff in his house in Shropshire. I can't remember the content, but the atmosphere and that ever so slightly smoky burr of his accent will stay with me forever. Very happy times, cherished memories, and as you can tell, like you Martin I've been thinking a lot about him the last few days.

So, I think it would be only just if all of us who helped out (or in my case, tried not to hinder) made a journey over the water this Summer to see Adavoyle and raise a glass to Tony... what do you think?

Andy

Doh! It was at Leatherhead that I first made my acquaintance with Adavoyle on the show circuit...

[martin_wynne]

I think my fondest memories though are of going down with Dad on a Tuesday evening (I think it was a Tuesday but I may be wrong) and just listening to Tony talk about life, railways and anything else that came to mind over a glass of the good stuff in his house in Shropshire. I can't remember the content, but the atmosphere and that ever so slightly smoky burr of his accent will stay with me forever. Very happy times, cherished memories, and as you can tell, like you Martin I've been thinking a lot about him the last few days.

 

Hi Andy,

 

Yes, those Tuesday evenings were special. Everyone fell under Tony's spell. But if you had been there 10 years earlier you would not have got away without some homework for the layout. Many drove home not quite sure how they had agreed to build a goods shed or a rake of wagons or whatever.

 

When work was in full swing, I visited on other evenings too, and often left quite late. I can remember many drives home in the early hours with a head full of Tony and Adavoyle. I recall one occasion when I was stopped by the police and asked to explain my journey through the Shropshire lanes at such an hour. I told them that the Greenore Boat Train had been running late again! And another drive home from Tony's stays in the memory: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/229-early-risers/page-1435&do=findComment&comment=890359

 

p.s. Please give my regards to your Dad. I'm sure he has similar memories of those happy times.

 

Martin.

[stafford junction]

thanks for posting those thoughts Martin I too can remember travelling home in the early hours after many exhibitions and unloading Adavoyle at Tony's going up and down those steps on a cold frosty night was something to remember I was thankful that the loading hatch was built into the railway room for the last few exhibitions. I am trying to write a fitting obituary for the model press and I will post it when it has been approved by Tony's family.

I will be driving Tony on his last journey to Ashford Church and Telford crematorium, and I will be listening for comments from the back of "slow down don't drive like Jim, or the Dublin express went at a fair lick."

Tony's funeral will be at 11am at Ashford Bowdler Church and then to Telford Crematorium at 1pm as I stated before I will be driving the Hearse for Tony's last earthbound journey.

Cheers, Gordon R

[BigAndy]

I didn't know Tony at all, but I have seen and admired Adavoyle Junction many times over the years.

 

It doesn't matter what gauge, era or scale you model, I personally have always modelled the BR diesel scene, but I challenge anyone not to have wanted to stand in front of Adavoyle and not be inspired. A truly ground breaking layout.

 

Tony was one of a very small and elite band of modellers who could inspire through their modelling and his passing will see one less genius modeller in the world. His legacy to the modelling fraternity can be seen in today's excellent P4 layouts,  and the rapidly gaining popularity in modelling the Irish scene.

 

Long live the South Dublin club and the home of Adavoyle Junction.

[martin_wynne]

There are so many stories from the early days of Adavoyle. Tony is now beyond the arm of the law, so the following can be told.

 

Those who know the layout will know that we used P.O. type relays as point motors. At one time these were a standard fitting on many a model railway. But by the mid 1980s they were becoming hard to find. We had a few, but needed many more.

 

Tony and his wife were in the habit of lunching at a pub in a nearby village. Returning one day pleasantly refreshed he noticed a truck parked outside the village telephone exchange. Tony being Tony he stopped to find out what was happening. A lone telephone engineer was carrying out racks of equipment and throwing them into the back of the truck for scrapping. Seeing that they contained the very relays we needed, Tony asked if he could have them. The engineer replied "No chance, I have to take them back to the depot". But Tony worked his spell and the engineer added "of course, while I'm inside I can't see what's happening out here". So every time the engineer went into the building for the next one, Tony "rescued" the last one from the truck and placed it in the back of his car. The engineer soon saw what was happening, and started placing the racks carefully on the ground by Tony's car: "these things are heavy, I'll chuck it in the truck in a minute". He later found that a £5 note had got caught under the windscreen wiper.

 

Tony's poor wife looked on horrified while all this was happening, and spent the next few days waiting for a knock on the door.

 

Martin.

[Dee-Ess]

I first met Tony and Adavoyle at an exhibition at the Music Hall at Shrewsbury in 1989.  I knew nothing of Irish Railways at that time (don't know much more now!) but was struck by the superb trackwork and evident quality of construction and operation of the rolling stock.  I thought nothing more of it until, out of the blue about a fortnight later I received  a 'phone call from Tony inviting me to come and see the railway at his home, which I readily agreed to.

 

The railway was due to be exhibited the following March at Scalefour North and Tony invited me to join the team 'as I'd be useful for carrying'. As the baseboards were 6'x3' and substantially built with many quarter pounder PO relays, that was more of a compliment than it appeared at the time. 

 

It was Impossible to avoid being 'volunteered' for projects on the railway and after, minor tasks like the platform paving were deemed acceptable, I gradually worked up to larger jobs such as the main station building. Exhibitions were very important to Tony and we went out on the road at least once a year up until 2006. In the couple of months leading up to an exhibition the pace became very frantic with wheel cleaning and servicing of stock, and usually some significant  new project to be completed. Tony regarded this work as taking priority over any domestic commitments that I may have had, and was regularly on the 'phone.

 

As time went on and Tony's eyesight and hearing deteriorated, and some other members moved on, for the last few years, I became by default the acting, unpaid CME to the railway, and was allowed to work on the loco's, and was able to see at close quarters how it was all done. Fortunately there were no major breakdowns needing repair, and I still marvel at the workmanship, which was all done on a little Unimat lathe.

 

We had some fun on those weekends away, and met many interesting people, so I too have happy memories and a taste for the Bushmills and Guinness.

 

David

[Debs.]

RIP Tony.

 

I knew him the the 1970s when he was constructing Adavoyle (the original) at the Merseyside MRS, along with Dave Goodwin and others.

 

I knew Tony from when I was but a very-young teen in the late-60`s/early-70`s (at the Merseyside MRS P4 group)....what a superb craftsman and a very-kind chap too.

His passing is a great personal loss for his family and friends, to our hobby and also to the 5` 3" broad-gauge movement.

Rest peacefully, Tony.

[Denis Bates]

Like many others, I have fond memories of Tony. I first (didn't) come across him when he briefly taught in my school, Down High in Downpatrick, while I was a pupil there. It was many years later that I actually met him - exhibiting the old Adavoyle in Shrewsbury - and became an intermittent member of the Adavoyle team. My chief contribution was in some of the buildings, most notably the Mallon distillery and the Miles & Miles walking stick factory.

I am writing an obituary of Tony, though perhaps I should write a second one, to include such items as the liberation of the PO relays.....

 

Denis Bates

[Horsetan]

"The Oul Fella", as he was at Chatham the year the rain caused part of the show tent to collapse.....

 

"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam"

[Andrewr]

Like many others, I have fond memories of Tony. I first (didn't) come across him when he briefly taught in my school, Down High in Downpatrick, while I was a pupil there. It was many years later that I actually met him - exhibiting the old Adavoyle in Shrewsbury - and became an intermittent member of the Adavoyle team. My chief contribution was in some of the buildings, most notably the Mallon distillery and the Miles & Miles walking stick factory.

I am writing an obituary of Tony, though perhaps I should write a second one, to include such items as the liberation of the PO relays.....

 

Denis Bates

Please do Denis. As you know, I only got to know Tony and the Adavoyle team fairly late on but I had a wonderful time operating the layout and an even better time sharing the craic with everyone. And isn't it wonderful to see so many people with such fond memories?

 

Andy

[TerryD1471]

Very sorry to hear the news of Tony, but very pleased that I had the opportunity to make his acquaintance, not only when he and his team exhibited Adavoyle at the Wolverhampton show many years ago, but also when he hosted a visit by various Wolverhampton MRC members to his home at Ashford Carbonel where there was a purpose built room housing Adavoyle. Happy memories of a first class evening marvelling at the creativeness and intricacy of many of the models.

 

RIP Tony

 

Terry D

[5050]

Must have missed this thread when it first started.  Tony was a real character - and a damn fine modeller.  I remember seeing his chassis with the inside valve gear at a Manchester Exhibition around '71/72 and being absolutely gobsmacked by it.  It was in my early days of 'proper' railway modelling and I wondered if I could ever reach such dizzy heights of craftsmanship - and I still do!

 

I also learned the art of getting every last drop of spirit out from a glass and/or bottle of whiskey (the 'e' is very important!) by watching Tony in the bar after a hard days operating at Expo EM in Wakefield.  Happy days.