Alec Swain

[roythebus]

This may not be the right board for this, but..

 

Some of you may have heard the name Alec Swain, a renowned railway and bus photographer, former chairman of The Model Railway Club, and more important, shedmaster at Willesden in the 1960's.

 

Sad to hear that he passed away earlier this week. He was a long-term resident of Woking Homes, but until recently was still out and about in his electric buggy photographing trains and buses at Woking.

 

He left a legacy of transport photos; one website says this: Alec Swain Collection

 

Alec Swain was Shedmaster at Willesden shed and now resides in the Railwaymen's Retirement home in Woking. As well as railways, Alec has always been keen on buses and the archive holds several thousand of his bus negatives. Alec's photography is on 35mm but to a very high standard; he was told me that he never took a photograph unless the conditions were perfect. Well, I suppose as Shedmaster of a busy London shed, he usually had another opportunity to re-take his subject on another day unlike some of us who toiled in all weathers and light conditions.

 

In his later years with BR, Alec worked at Board level and was instrumental in training drivers on the Bedpan project. He was well like by all who knew him on BR.

 

Rest in peace.

[The Stationmaster]

Very sad to hear that.

 

I've known Alec for many years as he was our DTS (Divisional Traction Supt) at Reading back in the late 1960s - when he often used to bring examples of his modelling into the office. I didn't know that he'd been Shedmaster at Willesden although I know he was at Leicester at one time (possibly as Mechanical Foreman?).

 

He lived for many years with his parents until their death and moved on to Woking as he found it increasingly difficult to look after himself.

 

And while I have long known of his abilities as an observant and skilled photographer I will remember him, and miss him, first and foremost as a true gentleman and a highly competent and greatly respected railwayman (who as it happened wasn't a bad Driver, he being one who quite often 'drove himself to work' while commuting between London and Reading .

 

I am now making inquiries about funeral arrangements and it seems that nothing is yet known - if anyone is interested and want the details (if I can get them) please let me know. He had moved from the Woking Homes to a nursing home in Woking and died there so Woking Homes know nothing of any arrangements but I am in touch with the nursing home.

[Adam1701D]

I'm really sorry to hear of Alec's passing - he was a true legend.

 

I was fortunate enough to know him when i was a MRC member during the early 1990s and fondly remember his "Chairman Entertains" lectures where he regailed us with tales of his days on the railways.

 

Alec's enthusiasm and incredible knowledge was a real inspiration for me - I still swear by many of his books on modern traction, sich as the Ian Allan Fleet Surveys.

 

A really sad loss to the hobby.

[roythebus]

I remember some of his "the chairman entertains" lectures at the MRC, including one entitled "I Assume".

 

Rule 1 on railways is "Don't Assume". Alec went on to entertain and astonish with anecdotes of railwaymen who had "assumed", sometimes with catastrophic and fatal results, often more slightly catastrophic and amusing results.

 

 

He apparently gave his collection of railways pictures to http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/alecswaincollection.html What happened to his bus photos I don't know. His photos of real ale pubs, of which he was also a connosiuer, was donated to the Hertfordshire County collection IIRC.

 

I was aware that Alec was on God's Wonderful Railway for a while, but was basically a midland man, having finished his days on the road at Cricklewood before going to Board level. He was a true gentleman.

 

If I hear of funeral arrangements through the MRC, I'll post them here.

[BrushVeteran]

I remember visiting Cricklewood depots, both East & West with my late Father and being taken around both by Alec Swain. I felt quite honoured to have met him and he later introduced me to the late Brian Haresnape. I last saw him in 1993 at the MRC at Westminster. I have a few of his original slides of diesel traction which I will truly treasure. The passing of an iconic railwayman in my view. Very sad.

[The Stationmaster]

A small update -

 

Alec died on Thursday and it would seem his death was unexpected.

 

I am now in touch with Claire Haresnape who is Alec's Executor and is making the funeral arrangements. However she would, if possible, like some information on the likely number of attendees so I won't yet post full details but if anyone who knew Alec would like me to pass details to them more directly please PM me with your email address. The funeral wiill take place on Friday 12 February.

[roythebus]

This note from Peter Mann of the MRC regarding the late Alec Swain:

 

Dear All

--

I have the details of Alec Swain's funeral . They are as follows .

 

The funeral will take place at 4.15 pm on Friday 12th Feb 2010. It will be at Woking Crematorium, Hermatage Road, St Johns,Woking, Surrey , GU21 8TJ.

 

As some here will know,Alec, a well-known protoytpe photogtapher, and a former chairman of The Model Railway Club, passed away last week.