Richard Coleby – Committee Member and Trustee

Richard Coleby

Richard served an Engineering Apprenticeship at Derby Loco Works in the last years of steam during which he gained an in-depth knowledge of the repair and maintenance of steam locomotives.

After completing his apprenticeship, he moved to Hunts Bank in Manchester where he was involved in the day-to-day maintenance of the overhead line system.

After leaving BR in 1969 he set up in partnership to build large scale miniature steam locomotives and was responsible for the design of several engines including the famous Stapleford Nickel Plate Berkshire (at the time the most powerful 1/5th scale  locomotive in the world) and the 59 class Garrat now residing at the NRM.

On leaving the partnership in 1973 Richard joined a company producing packaging equipment where he headed the design office. He has since been responsible for producing packaging machinery which has gone to the four corners of the globe.

Now retired, Richard has returned to his first love and is utilising his design experience to good effect both in assisting in some of the detail design of the 5AT and also working on new large scale miniature locomotive designs, including new large scale miniature locomotive designs such as the new Garratt “Norfolk Heroine for the 10¼” gauge Wells & Walsingham Railway.

Richard worked with the 5AT Project from 2006 and completed several complex 3D drawings, some of which can be found through the Drawings page of the 5AT website.  One example of these drawings is shown below.

Photos of some of Richard’s other steam creations can also be seen below.