Neill Fisher (Great Central)

[doctor quinn]

It is with great sadness that I have to announce that Neill Fisher (Great Central) passed away on Wednesday after a short illness.

 

Neill’s passion for the former Great Central  was rooted in the GC mainline  that ran close to Neill’s childhood home in the Sherwood area of Nottingham and his trainspotting at Nottingham Victoria.

 

This inspired his modelling and he built many fine models of locomotives that worked the GC in particular, from Colwick and Annesley sheds. His models were always weathered to depict the workaday engines familiar to him from his youth, but these were no shelf queens, Neill ensured his locos worked as well as they looked.

 

Neill was member of the Nottingham Model Railway Society for some 40 years and when the OO group was looking for a new “modern Image” project, Neill’s formidable knowledge of the GC led to group to the Woodhead route, he was one of the prime movers behind the club’s seminal layout “Deepcar” which has enjoyed an exhibition career of over 30 years. Neill’s modelling evolved during this time to encompass the BR blue era and even a Regional Railways EM1.

 

Neill was not just an accomplished modeller. He was good humoured and always the first to pitch in when help was needed with anything. He was also more than happy to join in with the sillier activities of the younger members including a spoof rock band and helping launch a rocket powered loco across the car park.

 

At the 21st century dawned Neill became involved in the club’s new layout, “Trent Lane Junction” and he enthusiastically began fettling his steam collection to run on the new layout as well as beginning new projects.

 

Relatively late in his working life, Neill joined the big railway to work initially for Central Trains and eventually East Midlands Railways. He found himself getting paid to work services over lines that he knew so well as an enthusiast.

 

Neill served for many years on the NMRS committee in almost every role, he brought his wisdom and dry wit to proceedings, helping to guide the club through turbulent years. Neill will be greatly missed by his friends, fellow club members and the modelling community. He leaves his wife, Christine and son, Lucas.

[298]

I was saddened to hear the news yesterday. I first met Neill at the NMRS in Bulwell nearly 30 years ago and quickly warmed to his camaraderie and sense of taking everything in good humour, which included being immortalised with his own Kebab van on the Deepcar layout. 

 

Always keen to spot a bargain, Neill was a good reference to have at exhibitions and swapmeets and later took put this knowledge to good use when the family shop diversified into model railways, however he was always keen to offer a discount to club members. I remember seeing a sign on the shop door when off-loading Deepcar for storage there one Sunday night, saying the shop would be closed on Wednesdays due to events elsewhere in the country. This actually meant he was bashing class 37/4s on the North Wales coast, something he was happy to do on his own but welcomed others to come along too, and we'd still have plenty to talk about at the end of the day.   A few years later I believe that on one of these trips at Nuneaton he noticed an advert for on-train catering hosts, thus starting his career on the railways. 

 

I also think he was the only person to buy a car on my recommendation, and managed to keep it on the road to an older age than mine, and then replace it with a second, so something must have stuck considering his once extensive car collection. 

 

Neill was also the first person to introduce me to RMweb, not long after the implosion of a D&E yahoo group. I can't remember the exact year, possibly 2005 or 2006? In his formative years here and more recently he used the moniker "Ravintrainman", again in good humour. 

 

Condolences to his family and NMRS members.

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by 298

[RANGERS]

Shocked to hear that, I’d similar interests so followed his posts on here with interest.
 

Although I met him many years ago after he’d bought some items that I’d advertised in the old RMWeb classifieds, he was another of those we “know” from these pages, many of whom we never actually meet and never know anything beyond their postings, so when tragedy strikes, it always seems to catch us cold.

 

RIP Neill, we’ll miss you.

[GWC1]

We were all shocked at Nottingham club. Neill was a regular operator assisting with several layouts. His last exhibition was operating my 'Netherwood Sidings' layout at Spalding at the beginning of November. He was his usual self that weekend and visitors would have seen him shunting the yard and running the local freight trains. He was all set to help out with our club show the following weekend, but was taken ill and went into hospital on the Sunday. Dave Paylor went round our show on the Sunday during a video call with him in the hospital showing him the layouts at the show. He was chatting to us throughout his time in hospital and we were expecting him to be back out at any time. It was a great shock to us all.

[AY Mod]

I am really sorry I have just seen this but so sorry to read the news of a passing of a long-term member here.

 

RIP Neill

[Mallard60022]

Devastated.

'GC' was such an inspiration 15 or so years ago, when I was investigating the remains of the actual GC in Notts. As a relative newcomer to the area, to me his knowledge was invaluable.

Having an 18 month Contract with Notts CC from 2005/2006, I was driving all over Notts and so had the chance to 'investigate' quite a lot.

GC picked up some of my posts on RMW, about the Trent Lane Junction project, and we struck up a pleasant on-line bantership.

I knew he was ex Railway, but not as recent as I read above?  

I wonder if the dear man ever finished the part made Little Engines 01Kit I sold him? A RTR version appeared not that long after of course!

Thank you for informing us. It is so important that 'friends' are aware of what has happened. 

RIP Neill and condolences  to all his family and friends and especially the Club. 

Phil

Edited December 11, 2022 by Mallard60022

[Suddaby]

Hi,

 

I've only just learned of Neill's passing from the obituary in February's Railway Modeller.

Neill was always the first to welcome me on my somewhat sporadic visits to the Bulwell club, or if I came across him at an exhibition, he was soon into a conversation about this and that.

He will be sadly missed by his  friends at the club, and somewhat belatedly, I offer my condolences to his family and friends.

 

RIP Neill.

 

Kevin