Andy Rush

[45669]

Despite living within about five miles of St. Neots, I only met Andy on one occasion when he invited me to visit his superb Ruschbahn after seeing some of my Rhätische Bahn pictures on the Internet.  Not long afterwards I moved away from that area and did not get the opportunity to visit again.  I was therefore extremely saddened to read of his sudden death when I got back from holiday yesterday.  Clearly a great loss to the world or railways, both model and real.

 

On my only visit to the Ruschbahn I took some pictures which are now on Flickr.  If anyone hasn't seen them and would like to, they are here :

 

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/train-pix/sets/72157634846800291/

 

Ron Fisher.

[RTD4479]

 

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.

 

 

I heard the news about Andy late on Friday while staying with a friend in Keynsham for the Railwells exhibition, from which I have just returned. I knew Andy quite well - he was introduced to me a number of years ago by a mutual friend as someone who might help with my Kings Cross project, which was in its early stages.  As mentioned elsewhere, Andy was a lifelong railwayman with a wealth of experience and knowledge, who might have despaired of a rank amateur with unrealistic ambitions, but instead he took it upon himself to help as much as he could, providing valuable plans and photos and an endless stream of snippets of operational information. We became friends and I was fortunate to visit him more than once, enjoying operating sessions on the Ruschbahn, and he returned the compliment by visiting me to see progress on my own layout.  Thanks to Andy I was fortunate to obtain a large number of items of rolling stock from the late Nigel Hunt's estate, many of which are in regular use.  I was shocked to hear of Andy's death, which I assume was quite sudden.  He and I shared many a beer and I will certainly miss him, especially his wicked sense of humour, and the hobby has lost someone of great knowledge and a willingness to share it.  Andy was compiling an extensive database of the infrastructure of the UK railway network, and I hope this work will not be lost with him.   Very very sad news.

 

Bob

 

 

[dunnyrail]

Not sure how many from here may be interested but there could be a few that would like to pass their last respects to Andy.

 

The funeral is on Friday 23rd 1000 at Bedford Crematorium 104 Norse Rd MK41 0RL

Those who wish to use Public Transport can get the X5 bus from Bedford, Cambridge or St.Neots to very nearby and a 10 or 15 minute walk after. There also appear to be local buses that go nearby too, Transport Direct site can help here. We are trying to organise a celbratory of his life with beer and happy discussions of him after in a pub at St.Neots. Will advise about that when confirmed with the landlord.

 

Any of you that do wish to come would be more than welcome.

JonD

[tetleys]

I never met Andy although I felt I knew him through comments made by our mutual friend Great Northern aka Gilbert and I'm sure had fate not been so unkind our paths would have crossed sooner or later.

I am very grateful to see Andy's incredible work through the postings by members and I am in awe at not only his railway but in his sheer audacity shown by the engineering to support his masterpiece.

 

My thoughts are with Andy's family and friends.

 

Dave Shakespeare

[Three Cocks Junction]

Having been privileged to know Andy in a small way I can say that not only was he an extraordinary source of primary information, he was also delightful company over a couple of pints, whilst relating his huge stock of entertaining and informative anecdotes, which unfortunately now remain largely untold. RIP.

[Baby Deltic]

I'm deeply saddened by this news. I'm not sure how well I knew Andy because I'm having trouble putting a face to the name. My friend Jim Connor knew him a lot better and I have apparently met Andy on several occasions, the last time being at Watford Finescale Show. I'm glad that he really liked the layout (Sumatra Road). RIP.

[dunnyrail]

Details of the Pub in St.Neots as promised:-

We will Be in the pub from 1200 Fri 23 Aug.

Hog and Partridge

25 Russell Street

St Neots

PE18 1BA

Pay Parking is in the Road before immediately on the left off Huntingdon Street immediately after the Old Sun.

Pub is second left but no parking down there.

Or there is free parking on Kings Road PE19 1LD then a 5 minute walk to pub.

Some have asked about X5 Bus from Bedford Bus Station (Bedford-Oxford Route) Travel Line gives deps 25 & 55 mins past hour. Takes 30min to St.Neots Market Square.

 

I have spoken to the family and they are relaxed if you can only make the pub. The funeral is somewhat early and travel from long distances may mean that the 1000 start at the Crematorium is not easily made.

JonD

[Blandford1969]

Andy was really helpfull in details on some of my GER negs. RIP and sadly another nice person is no longer with us.

[Castle]

Hi All,

 

That's two obituaries of people I knew that I have only just caught up with on my return from my trip. What a shock! I only met him via the Didcot trip bit he seemed like such a nice guy and it was a pleasure to have known him, however briefly. Please pass my condolences to his family for me. Our ranks have lost another great contributor...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[beast66606]

I can't make Andys service or the pub - but I will raise a glass in his memory tonight.

[The Bigbee Line]

I knew Andy from Enterprise House in Railfreight Distribution days.  Andys office was always a haven of sanity in a sometimes mad world.  A pleasure to work with.  Contrary to what people think Train Planning could be an exiting business.  I remember being rang by Andy to discuss a 'secret' plan to serve a large car plant in the Speke area with a shuttle from Crewe.  Because it was to circumvent industrial action by road haulers.  Exiting stuff, nothing came of it because the 'manufacturer' backed down.

Goodbye Andy, a quiet giant of the rail industry.

[Nick_Burman]

Sad, sad, sad...I only came to get to know the Ruschbahn quite recently through the forum. Andy made an impact far beyond the boundaries of his garden...as far away as Brazil (where I write these words from).

 

Cheers NB

[roythebus]

I've just heard about Andy's passing through the Model Railway Club's "Bulletin". I didn't realise there was an "obituary" section on here!

 

I'd known Andy since my early days at the MRC when I met him running the Longridge, Brampton Sands and Calshot Railway, the MRC's )) layout. Andy had a loco on there, the only diesel at the time, a Triang Brush Type 2, nicknamed the Rushbrush! It had twin motors and fine scale wheels and would pull a house down. It was sad when I was tasked with dismantling that layout which Andy had helped build and operate.

 

However, the next time I met Andy was at Wembley a few years later when I was in charge of New Annington. Both he and Nev Hunt watched the layout for ages and both congratulated me on the appearance and operation of the layout. I bumped into him a few times at shows since, and recently discovered him "lurking" on here.

 

Like a lot of people I've met in the hobby, when we meet, it seems like nothing has happened in the intervening years! Sad to see you go Andy.