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John Ransom
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
John Ransom (full name Philip John Greer Ransom) was an early participant in the monthly working parties run by the London Area Group in the mid nineteen-fiftes. In 1965 he then went on to buy and import into the UK the American Locomotive Company 2-6-2T Works No. 57156 from the recently closed Tramway de Pithiviers à Toury. This locomotive came to the FR in 1967, where it became Mountaineer.
He told the story of the purchase and import of the locomotive in the Summer 1966 issue of the Festiniog Railway Magazine (issue 33). This was one of a number of contributions he made to the Magazine, his last contribution (in issue 133) being the then scandalous story of the relationship between Robert Francis Fairlie and George England's daughter.
John has had a number of books published, mainly dealing with railways, canals and Scotland. His "Narrow Gauge Steam", published in 1996, was reviewed in FRM 154, the reviewer's opening remark being that "this book deserves a place on every Festiniog supporter's bookshelf, right up there alongside Boyd's".
He was a Society Director from 1964 to 1972 and appointed a Vice-president in 1998.
