Gordon Diplock

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Peter Butler
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Gordon Diplock

Post by Peter Butler » Tue Jan 30, 2018 6:39 pm

Some time ago one of the Forum members acquired an original Gordon Diplock 'Aero-railcar' and posted images. Are there other survivors out there?
I have often wondered about the history attached to Gordon as I know a Trophy is named after him so he must be well respected but not so well documented.
Does anyone have any further information please?
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Andrew
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Re: Gordon Diplock

Post by Andrew » Fri Feb 23, 2018 8:36 pm

Hi Peter,

I've just dug out these recollections I posted at the time when the video of the railcar was posted here:

I met Gordon a few times when I was very new to the hobby, he always seemed to have something interesting to play with and could build stuff at a most prolific rate. I recall him once knocking up a small layout based on French practice including a railcar that formed the "Le Vold Express" - he'd done all this purely so he could ask the announcer at the Merstham Show to inform exhibition goers that this train was due to run, anticipating that when he did so it would sound like "Leavold", the surname of an individual who had just left the 16mm Association in a huff, so that everyone might have a laughat his expense. I don't recall whether it worked or not.

The last time I remember seeing Gordon he was sitting at the centre of a slate quarry which he'd created and was exbibiting all by himself - trains were whirling round their creator at great speeds...


He certainly was an interesting chap. He seemed to enjoy making things simply because he could - like the railcar. It seemed that no sooner had he thought of an idea than it would take three dimensional form in his workshop. They weren't always complex (I recall a bright yellow 4 car suburban unit created from Brandbright compartment kits soon after they appeared) or large (lineside details included a brazier burning Mamod pellets and a "working" platform urinal with a gentleman using the facility) but there always seemed to be something new to enjoy. Best of all, he combined being an innovative engineer with great modelling skills - although quirky, his work was to a high standard.

I think he lived in Kemsing and was possibly a member of both the Kent and the East Surrey groups, as a number of people seemed to be. It must be 30 years ago that I met him (does tat make me "heritage"??!), and I think he was retired then. I'd guess that he died maybe 20 years ago, I expect there's an obituary in 16mm Today somewhere...

I doubt there was ever another propeller powered railcar - I imagine that once he'd finished it he'd have moved on to the next project with scarcely a backward glance...

Hope that's useful,

Andrew.

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Re: Gordon Diplock

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Feb 23, 2018 8:48 pm

Is this not mentioned in the 16mm Today edition of the history of the association?

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Re: Gordon Diplock

Post by Peter Butler » Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:22 pm

Many thanks for your reply Andrew, I thought there must be some information relating to him somewhere but I haven't found anything at all, not even in the 16mm
Association history, which I found very interesting.
Incidentally, mention of Alumwell as a meeting/exhibition venue for the Association brought back memories as I lived very close to the school at that time and the first model railway club I joined met, worked on layouts and held our own exhibitions there too. Amongst our members were Mike Higgins and Alan Kidner, both of whom I knew well and were mentioned in the Association history.
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