We’re sorry to have to give you the sad news that Ken Watts, the founder of the 5637 Steam Loco group that many of you know, passed away peacefully on Saturday 6th March at almost 96 years of age.
In 1978 Ken formed the GW Steam Loco Fund, which later became the 5637 Steam Loco Group, to raise money to buy an ex-GWR steam locomotive. There was a suitable loco available at the Birmingham Railway Museum and Ken was one of the party that went to Birmingham to see 5637 and subsequently decided to buy it.
Ken had been a steam loco fireman during the War and so had connections with ex-railwaymen who were local councillors. This helped persuade Thamesdown Borough Council to purchase 5637 then eventually sell it to the SLG when they had raised enough money. This was a feat that would be unbelievable today.
Ken was mainly involved in organisation and fundraising along with his wife Hazel who was the SLG Treasurer for many years. Ken organised the sale of shares in 5637 to raise money for the restoration and was the owner of share number 1. Ken had a fine collection of railway memorabilia and very kindly donated the GWR whistle he had to 5637 when the SLG didn’t have the funds to buy one.
Ken was in the army from 1946 to 1951 and was very badly injured in the swamps of Malaya when a thrown hand grenade exploded in front of him. His father was flown out to Singapore to visit Ken in hospital as the doctors didn’t expect him to survive. However, Ken recovered and married Hazel in 1950, though even in his 90s, Ken’s doctors were finding shrapnel which hadn’t already eased itself out.
Ken became a painter & decorator then a builder having a serious accident at work when he fell down a ladder and broke both ankles. One ankle in particular gave him trouble though it wasn’t at all obvious that Ken had to wear leg callipers as a result.
After Hazel died Ken became the SLG Treasurer from 2004 to 2007 and later worked as a volunteer at the Steam Museum in Swindon. It is no exaggeration to say that without Ken 5637 would not have been restored to operating condition and have been steaming for the last 20 years.
The family has requested that donations in memory of Ken be made to the 5637 Steam Loco Group.