A FORMER chairman of Project 62 – the owning group for Yugoslavian-built ‘pirate’ copies of USA dock tanks Nos. 30075/6 – has lost his two-year battle against cancer.
Graham Kelsey, who passed away in Manchester on November 30, was one of only three chairmen of Project 62, which was established in 1990, and he was at the helm from 1998 to 2005.
During this time he oversaw the dismantling of No. 30075 (a mock BR number) at the Swanage Railway, where it had been based since its arrival from Store Steelworks in the former Yugoslavia in 1990 and the subsequent transfer as a ‘kit of parts’ to Cranmore on the East Somerset Railway.
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No. 30075 was refurbished and reassembled there and saw service from 2004-09 at Cranmore, then more recently at the Mid Hants Railway before withdrawal again for heavy overhaul in 2011, which is currently underway at Shillingstone.
Keen and active supporter
Graham moved from Dorset back to his home city of Manchester several years ago to pursue his interest in family history, but always remained a keen and active supporter of Project 62 and the two locomotives.
Being from Manchester, Graham was also extremely knowledgeable regarding Beyer-Garratt locomotives and spent many happy holidays in Africa chasing them. He also had several articles published on the subject of Garratts and was well respected in this field having been able to have access and study the Beyer Peacock official archives.
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