Coventry's Pete Waterman gets locomotive named in his honour
Coventry-born music producer and rail enthusiast Pete Waterman has had a locomotive named in his honour. Freight train operator Freightliner held a naming ceremony at Crewe station yesterday (September 11) to mark Pete's contribution to the railway industry.
Pete has served as the Railway Benefit Fund president over the last five years. The charity supports current and former railway workers and their families and has raised around £2 million in donations during his tenure.
Chief executive, Joe Kate, described Pete as a 'well-known railway devotee' who had championed the industry and its workforce. She said: "He has been instrumental in making our fundraising events a success, always finding the time to engage with railway workers nationwide, actively supporting and promoting all range of media and hospitality events.
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"This loco naming is a true acknowledgment of his contribution and a huge thank you from the charity and all the families we have been able to support as a result of his great work," she added.
In April, Waterman's Railnuts team of rail enthusiasts set a new record for the world's largest portable model railway, with a replica of a section of the West Coast Main Line that went on display at the NEC in Birmingham, with nearly 1km of track.
Chief executive of Freightliner Group Tim Shoveller, said: "I have known Pete throughout my railway career. He is a true railway supporter, always happy to give up his time and contribute to the benefit of the railways. His passion and love for the industry, people and even the model form is clear to see."
Pete has been modelling railways since he was a child and said it's always been a part of his life. Speaking to BBC CWR, he said: "I’ve never grown out of it, it’s been part of my life all the way through. You go in your model railway room, it’s so complicated you can’t worry about everything else, you absorb yourself in the detail."
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