RJS1977 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 For those who haven't already heard this elsewhere: PD Hancock, creator of the "Craig and Mertonford Railway" passed away on 28th June. (Forwarded from the NGRM forum). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Very sad, that's another legend and inspiration to many gone. RIP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2011 Very sad, that's another legend and inspiration to many gone. RIP. Since his writings were about when I was very young - and I'm now 62 - he must have had a fair innings, at least. ISTR his innovations included a winch-operated stub point, and I've yet to see another one. Did he not have a factory called Peter Allen's Processing Plant, while pointing out that he had never quite identified what was processed? I feel freelance modelling was more common then - but few layouts offered his levels of skill or imagination. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 The first "Railway Modeller" I bought (December 67 I think) featured his railway and gave me lots of inspiration at the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted July 1, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 1, 2011 Another of the "greats" from the history of our hobby gone. He was an imaginative and skilled modeller, a lovely writer and (from memory this one so might be wrong) I think he took all the photos that accompanied his articles, so he was no mean photographer. I wonder how many of our current layouts will be remembered as fondly 40 plus years from now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 We all have to go sometime: it would be good if all departing were as fondly remembered for the joy they brought. RIP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted July 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2011 Fondly remembered as the inspiration to get me moving on beyond Hornby Dublo. Previously the first that I'd heard of him was in a 1957(ish) RM (still got it somewhere) and I was just amazed at that wonderful creation that was 'Craig & Mertonford'. Ironically I only recently got hold of a copy of his book about the layout and all that went with it. I really do feel a sense of personal loss. 'Alastair' a Craig and Mertonford loco. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted July 1, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 1, 2011 He was one of the true pioneers of small scale scenic modelling (and surely one of the first to model 4mm narrow gauge unless I am much mistaken). His achievements were amazing given just what was available at the time. RIP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Sad news, someone who could justly be mentioned in the same breath as the Rev Denny. I remember his 1970s articles from my early days (including some colour shots, which were then a novelty in RM), memorable not just for the standard of modelling but also the conceptualising, inventiveness and storytelling. RIP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted July 5, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2011 Yes, a fondly remembered colour spread from a late 70s Modeller (probably an update on developments since the one Ian mentioned) was a personal fave. The combination of narrow gauge, harbour and impressive scenic modeling (certainly compared to the average standard of the day) was inspirational. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 The end of another Era... RIP to one of the Greats. I'd link his name more with John Allen (Gorre & Daphetid) and John Ahern (Madder Valley) than Rev. Denny. They were his own inspiration, and he captured a similar sort of 'style' or 'attitude' of modelling. He was apparently a very modest and private man; it was only recently I found out that "P" is for Phillip!! Closest I've got to his models was at Warley/NEC one year when one of his trams was on display; the detail was phenomenal, especially considering the age of the model and the fact it was scratchbuilt. I have his book about the C&M (Revised Edition) and kept several of his RM articles too; the last article I recall him doing for RM was about his garden line in about 1991... anybody know if he did any more after that? A 'Back-Catalogue' of his articles would be great! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS1977 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 The end of another Era... RIP to one of the Greats. I'd link his name more with John Allen (Gorre & Daphetid) and John Ahern (Madder Valley) than Rev. Denny. They were his own inspiration, and he captured a similar sort of 'style' or 'attitude' of modelling. He was apparently a very modest and private man; it was only recently I found out that "P" is for Phillip!! Closest I've got to his models was at Warley/NEC one year when one of his trams was on display; the detail was phenomenal, especially considering the age of the model and the fact it was scratchbuilt. I have his book about the C&M (Revised Edition) and kept several of his RM articles too; the last article I recall him doing for RM was about his garden line in about 1991... anybody know if he did any more after that? A 'Back-Catalogue' of his articles would be great! I seem to remember a short update from him in (I think) 1999 to mark RM's 50th, including a photo of the under-construction 7mm C&M successor (including some of the 4mm buildings as perspective). There has also been a short article in 009 news in recent years abour the last 4mm loco, Ruaridh. Moira and Duncan have been in the care of another 009 modeller for some years and occasionally appear at shows. There was also an article in the 009 News a year or so ago about some of the C&M stock visiting Ted Polet's line, including a posed cover shot of one of the locos being unloaded from a sailing ship! Sadly both PDH and Peter Denny both died shortly after being admitted to nursing homes - it would appear that without their hobby to sustain them, both went downhill fast. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfMike Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I have been a “lurker†on this site for some time but only registered a week or so ago. I had been debating what my first “real†post should be about and to be honest, I can’t think of a better thread than this one. I have recently returned to the hobby after the best part of thirty years away. I was an avid modeller of American and narrow gauge railways when I was in my early to mid teens, and P.D. Hancock’s “Narrow Gauge Adventure†was an inspiration to me. I read the first edition when someone lent it to my Dad, Mike (some of you here may know him as the creator of Lenches Bridge, Ashwood Baisin, Patingham and Saltwells, plus many others) and I was completely enthralled by it. I was captivated not just by the outstanding modelling and photography but the back-stories and history that P.D. had created around the models – even the figures had names and biographies. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the second edition as a Christmas present soon after, which I still have. At the time, one wall of my small bedroom was taken up with On16.5 my “Kenilworth, Catherine-de-Barnes and Silhill Light railway†layout and I remember that after reading “Narrow Gauge Adventure†I started developing my own back-stories for the inhabitants and scenes within the layout. I also started avidly taking photographs, often of scenes specially posed for the occasion in an attempt to emulate Mr Hancock. As I got older, I started to lose interest in modelling and took up playing the guitar in a rock band and drinking beer as a hobby instead, a natural progression for a young man during the mid 1980s I guess, and book lost favour along with everything else. Many, Many years later I am now a middle aged middle manager with an amazing wife and three wonderful children and although I have the guitars still, they are all in storage. I have, however, returned to model railways. I don’t know why, but I started to get an itch a year or two ago and then after spending a day helping my Dad operate Pattingham at last year’s Warley show at the NEC I realised that I had no choice but to get involved again. Just before I “retired†in the 80’s I had built an HO 2-truck Shay from an MDC kit which I still have. I must have built it when I was about 15, for a layout that never materialised. I decided, therefore, to carry on where I left off and now I am in the process of building things for a small HO layout; the freelanced “Jemima and Gulf railway†set in Louisiana. I don’t have much to show yet; I have the Shay (which still runs after nearly 30 years – I do not intend to alter it, I’ll keep it as I built it), I have a couple of small consolidations that I am building (inspired by Tremont and Gulf prototypes), a track plan (nearly), base boards, assorted rolling stock and... P.D.Hancock’s book. Just as I did three decades ago, one of the first things I did when I decided to start modelling again was to dig out “Narrow Gauge Adventure†and read it cover-to-cover. It is every bit as inspirational now as it was then and I know that it will continue to be. Thank you Mr Hancock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I started in HOe Eggerbahn, largely as a result of seeing the Craig and Mertonford in RM, along with the Aire Valley Railway by Derek Naylor(?) and Larpool & Easington by John Patmore - all hugely inspirational. RIP Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Warrior Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 One of the true greats. Remember articles in the RM going back to the 50's. Always found his work a great inspiration. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 15, 2011 Sadly both PDH and Peter Denny both died shortly after being admitted to nursing homes - it would appear that without their hobby to sustain them, both went downhill fast. Richard I am not sure that Peter Denny was ever admitted to a nursing home. I was told that he had a fall at home and was admitted to hospital and he passed away there a short while later. The last time I spoke with him he was talking about possibly having to leave the house and move into some sort of care home because he was struggling to look after the house and himself. He was modelling and having regular operating sessions right up until his fall. As we parted company for the last time, he offered me some advice "Don't grow old, young man, it isn't much fun". I was 50 at the time so it was lovely being called young! I do wonder if he had reached a point where he knew he wouldn't be well enough again to return home and decided that was the time to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagaguy Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Since his writings were about when I was very young - and I'm now 62 - he must have had a fair innings, at least. ISTR his innovations included a winch-operated stub point, and I've yet to see another one. Did he not have a factory called Peter Allen's Processing Plant, while pointing out that he had never quite identified what was processed? I feel freelance modelling was more common then - but few layouts offered his levels of skill or imagination. I believe the Peter Allen Processing Plant processed treacle as there was a lot of articles which mentioned treacle mining at the time in the RM. Sadly,another icon gone,I wonder what happened to Mcpyrke & the Berrow branch? Ray. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2011 I believe the Peter Allen Processing Plant processed treacle as there was a lot of articles which mentioned treacle mining at the time in the RM. Sadly,another icon gone,I wonder what happened to Mcpyrke & the Berrow branch? My RMs were mainly secondhand and thus a bit occasional in that era, but I do indeed recall treacle mining as a topic - was there a Sabden Valley Railway with treacle as its principal commodity, perhaps? I actually saw the Berrow Branch one year at one of the Westminster shows. Another top-drawer layout of its era, of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I believe the Peter Allen Processing Plant processed treacle as there was a lot of articles which mentioned treacle mining at the time in the RM. I thought that P.D. eventually revealed that Peter Allen's processed shale... the 'historical' original "raison d'etre" (or whatever that phrase is) for building the C&M itself.... Didn't 'treacle mining' start in an April edition of RM...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfMike Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I thought that P.D. eventually revealed that Peter Allen's processed shale... D'oh! was just about to say the same thing and you beat me to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 D'oh! was just about to say the same thing and you beat me to it. Never mind!! Welcome to RMweb, anyway... my lad and I were guest operators for your Dad's Pattingham on the Saturday at Warley... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Heck - we have lost another great. RIP PDH, you were an inspiration to me - you made wonderful models from bits and pieces. No one (it seems to me) does that anymore. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgundy Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I thought that P.D. eventually revealed that Peter Allen's processed shale... the 'historical' original "raison d'etre" (or whatever that phrase is) for building the C&M itself.... Didn't 'treacle mining' start in an April edition of RM...? Is it a pure coincidence that a Peter Allen was co-author of "Rails in the Isle of Wight" (with A B MacLeod) and, I think, many other railway publications? From memory, his day job latterly was being chairman of ICI and he was actually Sir Peter Allen. Was there an arcane joke in there somewhere? Eric Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Is it a pure coincidence that a Peter Allen was co-author of "Rails in the Isle of Wight" ....?? Probably, especially bearing in mind that we've all been spelling P.D.'s Processing Plant wrong... a quick check in my copy of 'Narrow Gauge Adventure' shows that it was spelt Peter Allans... D'oh!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplex Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I seem to recall that PD Hancock modelled in 16mm scale in the (relatively) recent years??? I think his lines principal motive power was a Roundhouse Fowler named Whiteadder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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