Roger Goss
Roger Goss, 1940-2018.
Roger Goss was born and grew up in Bristol and on leaving school he started as an apprentice with the locomotive builders Peckett & Sons at their Atlas Works. In January 1962 just before he was due to finish his apprenticeship, Pecketts closed down. Along with the other apprentices it had been arranged that he should join BR to complete his training. He worked for the Western Region at the Bristol steam sheds at Bath Road and St. Philip's Marsh and the Midland Region shed at Barrow Road.[1] In 2025 FRS Bristol Area Group has no record of him being involved with the Group in the short period between Autumn 1962 when the Group was founded to the following summer when he moved to work on the FR.[2]
He joined the FR as a fitter at Boston Lodge in mid-1963 and was given Fred Boughey's former caravan in the Top Yard for accommodation which from late 1964 he shared with Bob Harris for four years - Roger was there for eight. He was the Railway's only ex-B.R. steam loco fitter in 1969. [3] With Bob Harris, Anthony Massau and two volunteers (one was Tom Baskcomb and the other Steve Coulson) he co-owned Britomart.[4] Roger and Bob spent a lot of their off duty hours working on Britomart. When they had been looking to buy a slate quarry locomotive Roger, being a Bristol lad, fancied one of the two Avonside Engine Company built locos at Penrhyn or the one at Dinorwic but publicity about these pushed the price up and they settled on Britomart.
Roger left the staff at Easter 1971 to join the Llanberis Lake Railway. [5] There he overhauled Dolbadarn and did much of the pioneering work to get that railway running. While in Llanberis he met Joyce and they went to live in Chester in the late 1970s where Roger was employed at Chester Wagon Works of BR from which he eventually retired. After retirement they moved to Spain. Roger and Joyce have a daughter, Debbie, and a son, Stephen.
He died at his home in Spain on 25th January 2018.[6]
Gallery[edit]
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Roger Goss with Dolbadarn on the Llanberis Lake Railway in 1971.
References[edit]
- ^ "Roger Goss 1940-2018", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 240, page(s): 908
- ^ Maynard, T P (2025) Email to Temple M L on 8/1/2025.
- ^ "Introducing the Staff", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 044, page(s): 7
- ^ "Tom Baskcomb", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 088, page(s): 005
- ^ "Staff News", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 053, page(s): 6
- ^ Adrian Gray "Secretary's Notes", Festiniog Railway Heritage Group Journal, Issue 132, page(s): 7