Glyn Wells, train driver from Deskford with steam railway in his garden, dies age 76

From working on the railways as a teenager to building a train line in his Deskford garden, locomotives were Glyn Wells’ passion his entire life.

Tributes have now been paid for the retired train driver and Aberdeen Model Railway Club member who died earlier this month age 76.

Career on track

Engines and Glyn Wells went hand in hand.

Born Glyndwr Anthony Wells in Salisbury, on May 9 1946, he was an only child of Automobile Association man Donald Wells and railway office worker Marie.

After failing the entrance exam for the local grammar school, Glyn left school at 15 to work for Southern Railways. However, he was no stranger to the track. Every lunchtime from childhood until it was time to go to work he hung over the fence to watch trains go by.

Glyn’s first role was engine cleaner. The route to becoming a driver meant progressing to fireman, however, by the time he was eligible for driver status diesel engines were introduced and Glyn’s passion was for steam.

Joining ‘the Ratty’

With that in mind he and his wife, Susan, moved to Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast in 1969. For the next 20 years the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – known as “the Ratty” would become Glyn’s second home. He was a locomotive driver, permanent way foreman then later would coordinate volunteer working parties.

Trevor Stockton, former General Manager of the railway paid tribute to Glyn.

“To some readers, the name Glyn Wells might not register. However, Glyn’s contribution to the Ratty over 19 years was as significant as it was lasting and permanent.

“In 1972, Glyn assumed the role of foreman; a position he held until his own departure for pastures new in November 1989. However, during those 17 years, he was responsible for overseeing a vast amount of work,” Trevor said.

This included the installation of passing loops, raising the track up across the Marsh and telephone poles erected all the way along the railway route.

Glyn, along with volunteers, also later dug-in the first of the underground phone cables replacing the earlier overhead wires.

Trevor added: “Every winter, along with staff and volunteers, Glyn was responsible for laying down over 700 new sleepers and new rail, per year. Then in the summer season he was a relief driver and controller.

“There was very little that Glyn didn’t do during his time on the railway, and it was an honour and a privilege to have worked alongside him for all those years.”

A new season of life

Glyn and his wife went on to have two daughters, Amanda and Michelle, though the marriage ended in the mid 80s.

In that season of change, Glyn wanted to better himself via further education.

One of the railway volunteers, Monica Russell, was involved with the Open University. The pair formed a friendship before dating, then married in Coventry in 1991.

Following the wedding Glyn took a maintenance role with Warwick University, specialising in heating and ventilation. Not a million miles from his steam train days, he worked from a boiler house.

Garden railway

In 2005, not long after the death of his mum who lived with them, Glyn began looking for a new property and a new start for them and their five dogs.

“Glyn found a house in a paddock, really in the middle of nowhere. We called it Squaredoch, just near Deskford. We went from city life in the Midlands to rural, Highland Scotland and haven’t regretted a minute of it,” said Monica.

In choosing his new home Glyn realised a lifelong ambition to build a garden railway. Retired by the time, they relocated he devoted his time to creating one five-inch gate and one seven-and-a-half-inch gate track for two locomotives.

Monica added: “He called it the Squaredoch and Deskford Railway. Every summer we’d have visitors from model clubs come to the garden. I wasn’t on the ‘railway side’ though. My job was in the mess hall providing the food.”

Friends and fellow members of Culbin and Aberdeen model clubs were regulars to Glyn’s garden railway.

Sudden passing

Glyn died on January 4 in hospital in Elgin, following a short but worsening illness.

Monica was with him.

“I was incredibly grateful that I had a friend with me when I visited Glyn because I really wasn’t expecting to lose him. It’s terribly hard and it’s all still very unreal at the moment.”

Glyn’s funeral took place on Monday January 16 at Moray Crematorium.

“We were married for 33 years in May. What can I say about him? He was a calm man, caring and friendly.

“He loved Scotland. One of the saddest things is how fiercely supportive of the independence movement he was, and now won’t see Scotland achieve that.

“My husband was a man who would have done anything for anyone.

“I just miss him so much.”

Glyn leaves behind Monica, his children and grandchildren and his dogs Skye, Lewis, and Rossi.

You can read the family’s announcement here.