which won’t mean very much to anybody in North America, but has great resonance here in UK and Australia.
Steve died on 15 January after a mercifully short illness caused by a malignant brain tumour. He had had a few spells in hospital over the last couple of years, but always popped right back up, like one of those inflatable things that you can’t knock over. This time, he didnt make it.
Steve was a dominant leading light in large-scale in the UK, having taken over the organisation of the national large scale train show at Llanfair Caereinion after Trevor Ripley took a well-earned rest. In addition to this, Steve also ran the Telford LSTS and had a recently revived shop business located in the historic Iron Gorge Heritage site. Back2Bay6 was a place for LS trains of all scales except Gauge 1, and his stallsat shows were a mecca for most everything you could think of. He was also a guiding light in the emerging 7/8th scale, and had commissioned a number of popular ‘putt-putt’ Simplex quarry and industrial locomotives and accessories over recent years. His fairness in deals was legendary - you would never come away from his store or stall without a smile on your face.
A big man in every way, I’ll miss him immensely as a train-loving pal in the world of trains - we go back maybe twenty years or more.
Tag Gorton - editor of the UK’s Garden Rail - will be making a more effulgent and apposite obit in the next issue.
Large Scale in the UK has lost a staunch supporter, fan and innovator, and many of us here have lost a person that we considered a friend. Thoughts and prayers to his family at this time.
RIP - Steve Warrington.
tac
Ottawa Valley GRS