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| Geoffrey T. Hunt; Information Needed! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 23 Aug 2012, 09:26 PM (1,188 Views) | |
| Murray Tremellen | 23 Aug 2012, 09:26 PM Post #1 |
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Director
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Can anybody tell me anything about locomotive builder Geoffrey T. Hunt of Bristol? He a 12" gauge loco to the Ruislip Lido Railway in 1960, replaced by Robert in 1973 and eventually rebuilt as Ivan at Shibden Park. He also built a similar engine which was based at Weymouth until 2010, when it moved to the Mid-Hants Railway. Apart from that, however, I can find nothing about him on the internet. Any information at all would be gratefully received... |
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| Timbo | 23 Aug 2012, 10:22 PM Post #2 |
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Timbo
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From memory there is a Heywood Soc member who has (at least in the past) had a Hunt loco and will presumably done some research on his acquisition. Drop a line to Dave Holroyde - I think there are a few extant still. |
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Tim Dunn MRW Moderator My Miniature, NG and heritage photos on Flickr >> Tweeting on railway, tourism and heritage matters >> | |
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| John Nicholson | 23 Aug 2012, 10:48 PM Post #3 |
Engineer
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Have a look at the Joe Nemeth website in the history section there is a picture of a hunt diesel that his father owned and ran at Severn Beach. John |
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| Murray Tremellen | 24 Aug 2012, 08:27 PM Post #4 |
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Director
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Good idea Tim, will do. John - I take it you mean this page? http://www.joenemethengineeringltd.co.uk/about_us.htm Are sure it's a Hunt? The text suggests that it was built by Joe Nemeth's father. |
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| John Nicholson | 27 Aug 2012, 05:38 PM Post #5 |
Engineer
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I might be mistaken but I thought there used to be a Hunt loco there. Having checked my books I have found a reference to in the Seaside Miniature railway book by DJ Croft as follows:- "Two 10 1/4" lines have operated at Severn Beach one known as Pleasure Gardens Railway and the other Lakeland Railway. The Pleasure Gardens Railway is understood to have been run by JSN Amusements and its locomotive, a Bo-Bo diesel electric machine built by Hunt of Bristol subsequently passed to the Lakeland Railway". I wonder if this is correct? John |
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| Murray Tremellen | 27 Aug 2012, 07:19 PM Post #6 |
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Director
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Croft's book is notorious for errors. However, a friend of mine has looked at the picture and says he is sure the loco uses a standard Hunt front-end. He suggests that it is possible that Hunt sold this to Mr. Nemeth when he ceased loco-building, and Nemeth then built the rest? I think the only way to resolve this is to email Joe Nemeth, which I will now do. |
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| John Nicholson | 28 Aug 2012, 12:29 PM Post #7 |
Engineer
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Many thanks for your work on this. I think that the nemeth site did used to credit hunt, but again the old memory. John |
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| Murray Tremellen | 30 Aug 2012, 12:24 PM Post #8 |
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Director
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I have now had a reply from Joe. It turns out that Hunt died in the late '60s and his relatives the Brooks family, also of Bristol, inherited much of his railway equipment. They sold this material to Joe's father, who operated JSN Amusements at Severn Beach, and proceeded to construct a miniature railway there. The loco and two carriages were assembled and operational by Easter 1969. The loco incorporated a Hunt front-end and bogie frames but the rest of the loco was designed and built by Mr. Nemeth. The engine was an army surplus petrol generator. After two seasons the railway was sold to Mr. E Golding and transferred to the boating lake where it became the Lakeland Railway. Mr. Nemeth continued to look after this railway, and later fitted the loco with a new diesel engine (a Lister Petter) for the new owners; this engine was taller than the original so a hole was cut into the roof. The railway was abandoned after the lake flooded in 1976, and was subsequently sold to John Hall-Craggs, who had the loco completely rebuilt and restyled by Alan Keef in Oxfordshire. So there we are - mystery solved! |
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| watrail | 30 Aug 2012, 11:22 PM Post #9 |
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Ticket Collector
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having looked at the photos of the engine on joe's site the cab/hood looks very very similar to a pair of hoods currentley residing at the bottom of my grandads garden i wonder if they are off this engine??? i will endever to find out for you chaps. |
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oliver price watford miniature railway watford hertfordshire | |
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| Murray Tremellen | 31 Aug 2012, 10:20 AM Post #10 |
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Director
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Thanks Oliver, that would be much appreciated
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