Page 34 - Quadrangle: 39th Edition

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Remembering Alasdair Alexander We regret to announce
(Sandy) Maclean (1938 – 2020) the deaths of the
following members of
Reflections by Stuart Seller and others as part of the North
the Heriot’s community:
British Railway Study Group, Journal No 140 (July 2020)
Aitken, Ronald Oliver (1954), January 2021
Beenham, Ewan (1994), September 2020
years, Sandy was more recently made an
We are sorry to report that Sandy Maclean passed years, Sandy was more recently made an Benson, Robert (1952), January 2021
away on 17th May 2020. Honorary Member of the Group. Bishop OBE, FRSE, John Oliver (1953),
February 2021
Sandy was very much involved with the Group Jimmy Hay adds:
Blyth, Allan Bruce (1961), April 2020
from its earliest days and was in particular the Sandy was instrumental in the formation of the
Bremner, John Iain (former staff),
recognised authority on North British Railway former North British Group in the early 60s along
September 2020
carriages. with associates from Fife including, amongst
Brown, John Derrick (1954), January 2021
In the years 1996-1998, he was co-editor, along others, Pete Westwater, Ian Kirk, the late Richard
Cairns, Ian H (1955), January 2021
with John Smith and Ronald Cockburn, of the Hollingsworth (who was the initial Secretary),
Clark, Ian W B (1959), April 2019
journal. He also produced a great number of together with other equally well-known
articles for the Journal over the years as well as, individuals, Lord Elgin being the President. Davidson, Colin W (1952 and former
Governor), October 2020
among other things, drawings for John Boyle to Regular meetings were held in Princes Street, with
Deighan, David (1996), September 2013
accompany his instructions for builders of 4- an average attendance of 25. The original Group
wheeled carriages. produced a magazine which then consisted of Duffy (née Arnott), Eva (1996),
September 2020
More widely known were the books he had approximately ten sheets of ‘Roneod’ paper.
Girdwood, Thomas G (1954), August 2020
written. These including the North British Railway Things in those days were very basic and many
Halliday, Keith R (1983) April 2020
Album, The Edinburgh Suburban and South Side hours were spent in Sandy’s house turning the
Junction Railway and A Pictorial Record of LNER handle of the Roneo duplicator, or typing with one Henderson, Lawrence J (1940),
September 2020
Constituent Signalling. finger the stencils that were required. The Group
then continued until the present NBRSG was Hope, Donald W M (1966), May 2020
His particular interest was in NBR carriages,
formed. Howieson, Joseph (1944), October 2020
and his attention to detail was such that the Hopton, Ruaridh (2016), December 2020
characteristics of the vehicles were not just Sandy and I visited many stations and sites of the
explained but also the role that vehicles had old NB, as well as collecting official documentation, Irvine, Ronald J (1954), August 2020
played in service. including much from the basements in Waverley Logie, Ruth (former member of staff),
station. February 2021
Born in Edinburgh, Sandy lived in Morningside
Martin, Glen (1959), August 2019
Road in a flat overlooking the Edinburgh Suburban Sandy was a great friend and will be missed.
McGovern, Gerald P (1947), May 2020
line. After an education at George Heriot’s School, Robin Boog adds:
Moffat, George Graham Johnstone
he joined the railway as a Junior Clerk at I first had the privilege of talking to Sandy in the (1954), February 2021
Newington on the Suburban line. He served his late 1970s, initially by phoning Buchanan House. Montgomery, Robert (1959), December
two years National Service in the RAF before I was after details about the Selkirk Branch and 2020
returning to Morningside Road as a booking clerk. Sandy listened, asked for my details, and said he Moore, Kathleen B (1993), February 2021
He was successful in being selected for would get back to me. He did, and very quickly.
Management Training and one notable job was Over the 40 years since then the pattern has been Ponton, Brian (1965), September 2020
Head of the Coaching Plant section in the repeated, with me in the early days sending letters Randall, Joyce W (retired staff), November
Operations Department of ScotRail HQ in Glasgow and an SAE before moving on to the much easier 2020
where he made a particular impact on email with his ‘ravenswood’ email address Rangecroft, Derek (1947), September 2020
revolutionising carriage cleaning with the appearing frequently both in my sent and received Rennie, Howieson (1948), January 2021
introduction of scientific methods. boxes. I last spoke to Sandy about 18 months ago Sibbald, Andrew E (1980), May 2020
Living in Greenock, Sandy seldom strayed from his and although he could not help me on the phone, Stewart, Ian S (1951), February 2021
home in his latter years but continued to help he was pretty sure he had something ‘in the Thomson, John Bruce (1962), November
those who needed historical information on room’ which he would try to look out. Sadly, it was 2020
matters. not meant to be. Tollervey, Robert M (1948), November
2020
Such was his railway knowledge that when Sandy was, in railway terms, without a doubt in
Tonathy, Eric J (1948), December 2020
Lothian Regional Council was looking for someone my mind, one of the most informative and
Topping, John (1954), February 2021
to give a series of lectures on Edinburgh’s railways, intelligent people I have ever met. Always ready to
Sandy offered his expertise and presented a help, he was a true gentleman. The North British Watt, Douglas C (1954), December 2020
number of lectures that gave a thoroughly Railway Study Group owes a huge debt to him, Watt, Ian B S (1949), November 2020
informative history of railways in the city right up not only for the help he has given the Group and Weir, James (1948), September 2020
to the present day. individual members but also for all the artefacts Williams, James F (1956), November 2020
To record his contribution to the Group over the he saved from the bonfires of BR Scotland. Wishart, Robert W (1952), December 2020