It is with great sadness that I have been informed of the passing of Don Neale, just short of his 97th birthday.
As I am sure most will know, Don was one of the founding fathers of the Gauge O Guild, way back in 1956. It was at a meeting in London, appropriately at Euston Station, where a group of a dozen or so modellers in O gauge decided to form an organisation to promote the manufacture and supply of components for those wishing to build their own models. In those days, the only O gauge available, apart from tinplate, was in the form of ready to run rolling stock and trackwork from the likes of Bassett-Lowke, Mills, Exley and Leeds Model Co.
Little would that early group have knownt that, sixty eight years on, the Gauge O Guild would have grown to the size it is today, with hundreds of traders supplying the needs of thousands of modellers worldwide.
Don's famous garden railway 'Kirtley Branch' featured in many model railway publications over the years, and it was always a popular venue for regular meetings of our local GOG group. Sadly, in recent years it suffered from neglect due to his infirmity and failing eyesight, although we did manage to maintain the track sufficiently to run trains on a couple of occasions recently, to Don's delight. The trackwork sustained major damage a few years ago following a disastrous fire in the roof of the bungalow. The damage was not as a direct result of the fire, but by what Don described as 'big-booted firemen trampling all over it'. The irony here is that Don was a retired control room officer in the local Fire Brigade.
Don is survived by his wife Joan, who supported and encouraged the building of the railway, she being responsible for the beautifully manicured lawns and rockery plants.
If anyone would like to contribute memories or anecdotes about Don to this thread, I will ensure that they are passed on to Joan in due course. I will also advise details of Don's funeral as and when they become available.
Dave Smith
Spring Show Manager
showmanagerspring@gaugeoguild.com