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Post by suctionhose on Apr 17, 2020 0:39:46 GMT
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Post by mugbuilder on Apr 17, 2020 1:37:14 GMT
It is always sad to hear of the passing of a gifted individual. There are fewer and fewer of the old school people left in this world of electronic wizardrey and instant gratification. RIP Don Ashton.
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Post by davewoo on Apr 17, 2020 5:11:53 GMT
I was very sad to hear this news, I never met or corresponded with Don, but just when I was about to give up on the valve gear setting for my first loco, Rob Roy I discovered his small book on Stevensons valve gear. The simple jig for setting the eccentrics was a work of genius, after remaking the gear incorporating Don's instructions, and probably to a higher standard, the engine was a success. So I feel owe the man a debt of gratitude, he certainly saved their being another unfinished loco chassis out there, I have incorporated his principles ever since. Reading the messages above I realise how many others Don helped, a mark of the man.
Dave
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Post by Jim on Apr 17, 2020 5:34:20 GMT
It is always sad to hear of the passing of a gifted individual. There are fewer and fewer of the old school people left in this world of electronic wizardrey and instant gratification. RIP Don Ashton. Well put Barry, I couldn't agree more.
Jim
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Post by suctionhose on Apr 17, 2020 13:02:01 GMT
I have reached the conclusion the web based information is very temporary and would highly recommend what you can get of Don Ashton now, you download and store on your own PC.
This recommendation comes from another thread elsewhere about "security of digital information" and realistically, this is an issue Archivist's are struggling with.
Last time I used the Wallace Simulator it didn't fully function. As a general scenario, if free software is not managed through time then operating system updates will eventually render it unusable.
I'm surprised the Dockstader stuff is still working - I met Charles D once - but don't count on "Voluntarily Produced Software" being available ongoing. Personally, I get Don's drift and I never used Don's spreadsheet or Wallace or Hall anyway. The learning is deeper embedded than playing with software...
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stevep
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,070
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Post by stevep on Apr 17, 2020 14:54:25 GMT
I have reached the conclusion the web based information is very temporary and would highly recommend what you can get of Don Ashton now, you download and store on your own PC. This recommendation comes from another thread elsewhere about "security of digital information" and realistically, this is an issue Archivist's are struggling with. SNIP . Web-based information doesn't necessarily disappear - it just becomes inaccessible. Many people register a personal web site and publish information on it, but when anything happens to them, unless there is someone in the family that wants to carry on the tradition, the data cannot be reached. As I said, I have downloaded all Don's pages, pictures and links, and currently have a fully functioning web site, mirroring Don's and running on my PC. This could be made available via a different platform, such as a model engineering society web site. Don's pages are all pretty static, filled with the benefit of his knowledge, so they only need to be made available, rather than updated. If anyone knows members of Don's family, maybe they can, in due course, find out whether they are going to carry on paying the web hosting and domain registration fees. If not, I can look at how we can continue to make the information available.
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Post by rogsteam1959 on Apr 17, 2020 18:22:50 GMT
Sad to hear Don passed away. He was a real helpful person as I remember how he helped me with the fixing of my MoK valve gear. Also I can feel the loss of some modelengineers here who were in contact with him. I lost my stepfather in law and hobbyfriend last year in January. And still there is blitz in my mind that I will call him to talk about things I’ve done on my loco. Only to recognize he is gone. RIP Don.
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Haymes
Active Member
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Post by Haymes on Apr 17, 2020 20:59:49 GMT
To add my tribute, I had brief correspondence with Don about GWR locos. A knowledgeable, helpful and courteous man.
His writings certainly made me think.
Carl
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,900
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Post by jma1009 on Apr 17, 2020 22:48:43 GMT
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Post by Jim on Apr 18, 2020 3:48:51 GMT
Thanks for sharing the link Julian, much appreciated.
Jim
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jimc
Active Member
Posts: 10
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Post by jimc on May 10, 2020 22:57:11 GMT
I have just heard the news and registered. I have been helping Don maintain his website since he had a lot of trouble with vandalism a few years back. I do have full access, so I shall attempt to contact his family and see what they would like done. Jim Champ
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dscott
Elder Statesman
Posts: 2,437
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Post by dscott on May 10, 2020 23:31:46 GMT
Thank you Jim. So much appreciated when people help out. And welcome to the Forum. There is a computer section where the rapid prototyping and CNC stuff is talked about!
Best regards. David and Lily. Reading.
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,900
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Post by jma1009 on May 11, 2020 0:12:39 GMT
I have just heard the news and registered. I have been helping Don maintain his website since he had a lot of trouble with vandalism a few years back. I do have full access, so I shall attempt to contact his family and see what they would like done. Jim Champ Hi Jim (Champ) (there are lots of 'Jims' on here!), You will see on here in just one thread how Don was so highly regarded. If you did a search on here you would see how much via other threads he devoted his time to help others over many many years. Don loved this forum; it was in some ways his ideal platform, rather than ME or EIM or the Railway Press. I have mentioned this to another Jim (Jim Scott), but at some time when this horrible epidemic is over (and dear old Don was one of those afflicted and a casualty) then the whole Model Engineering fraternity of us loco folk ought to do something to mark his memory and extraordinary contribution to our hobby. Cheers, Julian
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Post by Roger on May 11, 2020 6:27:01 GMT
I have just heard the news and registered. I have been helping Don maintain his website since he had a lot of trouble with vandalism a few years back. I do have full access, so I shall attempt to contact his family and see what they would like done. Jim Champ Hi Jim (Champ) (there are lots of 'Jims' on here!), You will see on here in just one thread how Don was so highly regarded. If you did a search on here you would see how much via other threads he devoted his time to help others over many many years. Don loved this forum; it was in some ways his ideal platform, rather than ME or EIM or the Railway Press. I have mentioned this to another Jim (Jim Scott), but at some time when this horrible epidemic is over (and dear old Don was one of those afflicted and a casualty) then the whole Model Engineering fraternity of us loco folk ought to do something to mark his memory and extraordinary contribution to our hobby. Cheers, Julian Hi Julian, I like the idea of something to mark Don's memory. Since Don's contribution was largely about efficient valve gear, maybe a prize at IMLEC could be named after him? Of course, any trophy would have to bear a Tug Boat emblem somewhere, even if that conufused the recipient! Whatever happens, Don will never be forgotten, even by those of us who never met him face to face.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2020 9:01:52 GMT
I have just heard the news and registered. I have been helping Don maintain his website since he had a lot of trouble with vandalism a few years back. I do have full access, so I shall attempt to contact his family and see what they would like done. Jim Champ Hi Jim (Champ) (there are lots of 'Jims' on here!), You will see on here in just one thread how Don was so highly regarded. If you did a search on here you would see how much via other threads he devoted his time to help others over many many years. Don loved this forum; it was in some ways his ideal platform, rather than ME or EIM or the Railway Press. I have mentioned this to another Jim (Jim Scott), but at some time when this horrible epidemic is over (and dear old Don was one of those afflicted and a casualty) then the whole Model Engineering fraternity of us loco folk ought to do something to mark his memory and extraordinary contribution to our hobby. Cheers, Julian I like this idea too Julian...perhaps something along the lines of 'Curly's Bowl' where it's a more informal friendly type of gathering, or so I'm told. A steam up of course but perhaps also where people who are willing could share correspondence between themselves and Don. Such written text could be put together into one tome for others to learn how much Don helped people within our hobby? Just an idea... Pete
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,900
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Post by jma1009 on May 11, 2020 23:04:31 GMT
Thanks to Jim (Mitchell), down under, wheels are in motion. I have a particular novel approach as an idea, that might or might not have the support of this forum.
Cheers,
Julian
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,900
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Post by jma1009 on May 12, 2020 21:33:06 GMT
Hi All,
I alluded last night to something. Don loved this forum, and it gave him an immediate platform to help others, and discussion of valve gears on here. I know he loved the discussion about David Goyder's 5"g 'Princess of Wales' and as he was quite ill at the time it cheered him up. An earlier example was Andrew P's 'Marie Estelle', a 5"g Don Young design.
Anyway, the proposal I am suggesting is that we make a financial contribution to this forum site in Don's memory so that pics can be posted easily again, which has been a hindrance for a few years, and something extra to ensure that this forum can continue to prosper in the future.
I know that Don had done a lot of research on W H Pearce the GWR valve gear 'supremo', and if any of this was printed off from his computers or could be retrieved we could club together to also finance a book based on Don's research. W H Pearce was Don's 'hero'. I had only snippets of this from Don in emails and over the 'phone, but he had done a significant amount of research on Willie Pearce and how he and his family ended up at Swindon that has never been published or considered before.
If I recall correctly via Don, Churchward paid for W H Pearce and his family to come to Swindon so that this genius could assist him in the drawing office; it is a story never before told or commented upon! This was all Don's work as a research project with a book or series of articles in mind.
Cheers,
Julian
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Post by suctionhose on May 13, 2020 4:46:59 GMT
Hi Julian, I like your heart felt sentiments and ideas. I've been chewing on them all day...
1. I think photo hosting and pasting the BB Code is actually pretty simple. I know people have to figure it out but you just need a host site that makes it easy for you (imgbb.com for example). Some sites suggested by members in good faith are a nightmare... Nothing is permanent. Nothing expected to be permanent should be on a forum anyway. Keep your photo's in your own space. Anyway, I think the linkage between Don and functionality of this forum will soon be forgotten.
2. The book is a solid idea! I guess it needs to established exactly what information is available and how 'book ready' it is. I can see a lot of work ahead to assemble, edit and publish such a work. Volunteers had better be in for the long haul! Could it be achieved in 12 months? Again the impetus could be lost...
3. I did think the Trophy idea had merit....
Actually, a thought just popped into my head... If the 4709 build at Llangollen keeps progressing - that would be a lump of iron to nail his name to!
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Post by doubletop on May 13, 2020 6:24:02 GMT
I am so sorry to hear this sad news about Don. I am also indebted to Don for his assistance with the valve gear for my Dart. A naïve question on this forum had Don step in and tell me to stop what I was doing while he dug out the drawings for his redesigned gear. Many PM’s later and the results spoke for themselves. I’m extremely pleased with the way the loco runs and sounds, it regularly draws favourable comments from fellow model engineers.
After I had posted videos of the loco running Don came back to me asking for a copy of the drawings he had sent me as he couldn’t easily lay his hands on them. Apparently, as a result of someone seeing my video, he’d had a request for a copy of his drawings.
Don will be sadly missed. No doubt there will be many who, like me, struggle to understand his book. Who do we turn to now?
Pete
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Post by Doug on May 13, 2020 10:57:56 GMT
Super sad news, I too had help from him on my speedy pointing me to his excellent work he did on this poor design. I found it very humbling that he would take the time to help me out as he didn’t know me. Very cleaver chap who will be sadly missed in the world of model engineers.
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