Tony Ross
Tony Ross, a well-known rail activist in Yorkshire for many years, sadly died on 22nd April 2020. By profession a chemical engineer, Tony had a wide interest in rail matters and was fully involved in many bodies and societies. A long-standing member of Railfuture, he served on its national Freight Committee for 25 years until his retirement for health reasons and contributed hugely to its work. He regularly attended Railfuture’s Yorkshire Branch meetings and was the Branch’s Freight Officer from 2015 to 2017. He bore his health problems of the last few years with uncomplaining patience.
Tony was a founder member in 2001 of the Minsters Rail Campaign to promote the reinstatement of the Beverley to York line, and it was he who devised the name of the Campaign, making use of the title of those two notable ecclesiastical buildings. He remained on the committee of the Campaign until 2018, contributing from his considerable knowledge and experience. In the mid-1990s he re-founded the Hull & East Riding Rail Users’ Association after it had fallen into a period of inactivity, and was for many years its secretary, until he had to withdraw from the role as his health declined. His minutes were a model of precision, accuracy, and clarity. His role in HERRUA led also to involvement on the committee of the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership. He was a member of the Friends of the National Railway Museum and for many years a volunteer at the NRM.
Anthony Michael Ross was born on 21st April 1937, and his early years were spent in the West Riding. Later, now in Bridlington, in his teens he developed a keen interest in railway photography and took many outstanding photographs of the railway scene in the East Riding from the 1950s onwards, beginning with his first camera, paid for out of paper-round earnings. Many of his photographs – including many of lines now lost – were published in various collections. But Tony will be remembered above all as someone who in all his wide range of rail-related activities was an unassuming lovely man.
David Pennie
(Hull & East Riding Rail Users’ Association)
The photograph above was taken in July 1956 with the 10:30am Summer Saturday Only, Sheffield Victoria to Filey Holiday Camp Train. It is leaving from the former platform 1. (time of departure from Bridlington would have been 1.02pm) This section of the station which has now been demolished and replaced by housing. Features of the railway of the 1950's and 60's the point rodding, old semaphore signal, telegraph wires and coal wagon, the rails are in short lengths and the sidings are packed with plenty of clinker, used as ballast. Photograph thanks to the late Tony Ross.
Updated 22.10.2021