Andy Y Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 It's with genuine sadness and regret that I have to advise that Andy Rush has passed away. On RMweb Andy was an excellent source of information assisting fellow modellers and will be sadly missed by a number of people. I was very sorry to hear of the news this morning and my condolences to his family and friends. I've used some of Andy's own words from 2010 by way of reference. Hello all After a few months 'lurking', I suppose I ought to introduce myself. My name is Andy Rush and I have been interested in model railways all my life, a tendency I inherited from my father who was a notable 7mm scale modeller and a founder member of the Gauge 0 Guild. I progressed through the usual 00 gauge toy train set phase and joined the Model Railway Club in London in my early teens, becoming involved with their exhibition layouts of the 1960s. In the early 1970ss, together with the late Nigel Hunt, I constructed and exhibited a P4 layout named Swaveney, before getting the historical research bug and becoming mostly inactive so far as modelling was concerned. Retirement and a change in personal circumstances led to the construction of a large G scale garden railway, which has provided much summer activity for the last four years, with regular open days and operating sessions. RIP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Condolences to the family, rest in peace.... Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 What a shock! This chap had made huge informed contributions over recent months on here. Very, very sorry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Crikey! I've known Andy for quite a long time as our work paths regularly used to cross and in fact we had an interview for the same job just over 20 years ago (he got it) and of course we were only talking recently on the members' visit to Didcot. And as it happens he was the second longest in terms of RMweb members I had known in our railway existence - alas no more joint hammering of Railtrack (as was) over possession plans by the pair of us In fact so recently that it's difficult to believe he's gone - just like that. A very sad day for the family and my deepest condolences and a terrible loss to the world of railway interest not just for his knowledge but for his work on the index of lines and sources which he has been involved in for many years and which is a marvellous resource for those who know about it - he was only talking at Didcot about having the Vale of Neath in mind for his first essay onto the Western. Great bloke, terrible shock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I'm hugely shocked, much like everyone else. I was looking forward to seeing him at the Test match on Monday and again at the end of the month. He will be greatly missed by many people around the country. RIP Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 A shock indeed, RIP Andy, I spent many happy hours with Andy and Nigel, and Ron Platt among others working on the MRC 00 layout in the 60s before I moved overseas. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Not Captain Kernow Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2013 I have just read this almost in disbelief. I have known Andy since right back to our train planning days when despite me representing a commuter toc and him representing troublesome trucks we shared common ground in most issues and became great friends. We did lose touch for a few years but it was great that at the Taunton do we met up again and spent most of the trip to Minehead and back, the evening meal and the do the next day catching up on any number of things, an awful lot of which did also involve hammering Railtrack and memories of various operating calamities that we were involved in. A lot of knowledge and a great friend has been lost and I really regret now that I did not get around to visiting him and playing with his G gauge this summer. Never got to make that Great Eastern tank for you buddy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Sh1t - this has come as a great shock to me too - I've known Andy, through this forum, because of our mutual interest in signalling and operation and with my move to East Anglia he has provided me with information regarding this area, I was only thinking of him earlier when I posted this link. Only a couple of weeks ago I found a photo of an old signal box at Wymondham and sent it to him with the usual "thanks" response. Rest in peace Andy - you will be missed. Condolences to his family and friends. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Terrible, shocking news, what a huge loss to the hobby. It was such a pleasure to catch up with Andy at the Members weekend in Taunton earlier this year. It's hard to believe that he's now gone. My deepest condolences to his family, may he Rest in Peace. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Very sad, like others is been trying to find time to take up Andys offer of a visit to the Ruschbahn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold grandadbob Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Very sorry to hear this having just met Andy for the first time (and thinking what a great chap he was) at Didcot a few days ago. Deepest sympathy to his family. Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Came straight here after receiving the sad news via the GER Society Yahoo group. Quite a shock, as he seemed so active, and a great loss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2013 gosh, that's awful.....such a loss. The Ruschbahn was iconic in garden railway circles. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Oh my goodness, that is such a shock. I had only recently got to know Andy, through RMWeb. He has offered friendly criticism and kindly posted various photos and other information to assist with the research behind my own project, taking the trouble to introduce himself at this year's Nottingham show. Fortunately, we were able to make it to a Ruschbahn operating evening two weeks ago where we spent a lovely evening in his company. I hope you don't mind if I post a couple of pics of the man and his railway from that night: Everything that was good about Andy has been captured in that all too brief friendship. Andy, you will be sadly missed. With tears in my eyes as I post this... Graham (Grantham) Nicholas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 9, 2013 What terrible news. Andy Y rang me this morning to ask if I had heard about this, and I was just shattered. I met Andy by chance at the Peterborough show getting on two years ago, and since then he has generously and kindly shared his tremendous knowledge with me. My layout is much enhanced by his help and advice, but my life is made poorer by his loss. I can't believe there will be no more visits to come, but I shall cherish my memory of his kindness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted August 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 9, 2013 Very sad news indeed. I got to know Andy a little through the disposal of the late Nigel Hunt's railway. Their joint creation 'Swaveney', one of the earliest P4 layouts in the 70s, has survived and is in the care of DRAG. It is planned that it be resurrected in the near future and now will be a testament to him and Nigel. A great loss and condolences to the family. Some more pictures of the layout here: >post #8 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/72277-a-p4-gnr-stirling-single/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Such sad news - a most charming, helpful man. It was a delight to photograph his railway in a garden (rather than the other way round) and I found him the most genial of company. Andy visited my Little Bytham project just once and set me right as to where my fruit vans should be running - on the M&GNR, not, as I had them, on the main line. He also provided me (via his close links with the GER Society) with dozens of pictures of Gresley vehicles to help me in my research with some models I was building. May I offer these pictures as a tribute to his memory? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
station cat Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Very sorry to hear this having just met Andy for the first time (and thinking what a great chap he was) at Didcot a few days ago. Deepest sympathy to his family. Bob. My feelings exactly, very sad news RIP Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnyrail Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 It's with genuine sadness and regret that I have to advise that Andy Rush has passed away. On RMweb Andy was an excellent source of information assisting fellow modellers and will be sadly missed by a number of people. I was very sorry to hear of the news this morning and my condolences to his family and friends. I've used some of Andy's own words from 2010 by way of reference. RIP. Hi my name is John Dunford, I found Andy this Thursday being a co builder of his Garden Railway and helping with his new indoor 00 Project of March 20 Foot River I was concerned that he had not been heard of for a few days. I went to his house and via the Police he was found to have passed on to that great Engine Shed in the Sky. I am so glad that someone has been able to post the sad news. I was just lurking around here wondering what to do when I found this post. Rip Andy, you will be missed. JonD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnyrail Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Such sad news - a most charming, helpful man. It was a delight to photograph his railway in a garden (rather than the other way round) and I found him the most genial of company. Andy visited my Little Bytham project just once and set me right as to where my fruit vans should be running - on the M&GNR, not, as I had them, on the main line. He also provided me (via his close links with the GER Society) with dozens of pictures of Gresley vehicles to help me in my research with some models I was building. May I offer these pictures as a tribute to his memory? Ruschbahn 01.jpg Ruschbahn 02A.jpg Ruschbahn 02B.jpg Ruschbahn 03.jpg Ruschbahn 04.jpg Ruschbahn 05.jpg Ruschbahn 06.jpg Ruschbahn 07.jpg Ruschbahn 08.jpg Ruschbahn 09.jpg Ruschbahn 10.jpg Ruschbahn 11.jpg Ruschbahn 12.jpg Ruschbahn 13.jpg Ruschbahn 14.jpg Ruschbahn 15.jpg Ruschbahn 16.jpg Tony, Many thanks for the pics. I was there when you did the shoot. I am the other guy in the Red Check shirt in one of the shots. Can you contact me please, via Andy Mail will probably be best as I am helping to sort out the estate. JonD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJon30 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I would like to add my condolences to those already posted. Although I only knew Andy a couple of years through operating on the Ruschbahn, there is great sense of loss for somebody taken from us before his time. Rest in peace Andy. Andrew Jones MilliseeYard Master Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bri.s Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 A great loss like most people on rmweb he help me out with information when I needed it and one of only 4 people on here I added as a friend my thoughts go out to his family Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaird Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 I can only echo what others have said already, although I never met Andy in person I too have benefited from his generosity in sharing his knowledge and experience, a sad loss! John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Not Captain Kernow Posted August 11, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 11, 2013 When I first commented here I was still in shock so there is a bit more I would like to add to show Andy's fun side. Twice a year all the Train Planning Managers from every TOC and FOC would head to Darlington for a conference at Headlam Hall held by BR Business Systems. The purpose being to share ideas and find out how each operator used the various Train Planning systems and find better ways of working and integrating the planning process. After the first couple of trips Andy and I would stage a breakout to the nearest pub, which involved scrambling through fields and lanes for about two miles in the pitch black. A few other TOC and FOC reps would also come with us and something memorable would nearly always happen. Andy would often repeat the tale of how I once ate something a bit dodgey at the pub and subsequently exploded in the hedge on the way back at about 1am! The other method of passing time during heavier going parts of the conference would be for Andy to take the names of various people and re-arrange them into something more appropriate. Andrew Glencross from BRBS became E C Drosswangler for example. The best of these involved Godfrey Willis, the then Track Access Manager for Railtrack Southern. The anagram of his name that Andy came up with being Fiery Dogswill! I don't think he was ever known as anything but Fiery after that particular conference as Andy's gift was not only to create these anagram names but also to create the name as something that suited the recipient more than their original name! I am really glad that I got the chance to catch up with Andy properly at Taunton and that event will now be ever more special in my memory. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted August 11, 2013 Share Posted August 11, 2013 Andy never operated my Ely North Junction but did visit many times. Every word he said about the passing trains was priceless. To get a controller's point of view has been a real privilege. Another privilege for me was to be able to help him write an article about Whitemoor Junction for the GE society. I will miss the fish and chips in St Neots after operating his railway. The distant is off Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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