James Train MBE (Auld Jimmy) : 1917-1993
Thanks Tacit1 for asking about this. When I was a kid, my maternal grandad or papa as I called him, was a giant among men. He was employed as a train driver, and in his spare time was a keen gardener of both vegetables and flowers, and committed significant periods of time to the support and development of cycling in the UK.
When we moved back from South Africa in 1978/1979, we moved in with them in their 3 bedroom house at 38 Cessnock Place, Bellfield, Kilmarnock. I was 10 at the time and very into this new life back in my own country. I spent a significant amount of time with my papa, in the greenhouse, in the garden, in the shed in the winter and having bonfires. At the same time, I remember always having visitors from our local cycling club, the Wallacehill CC, where he was a member for some 60 odd years, and marvelling at the guys who were always really fit, had bikes that weighed about the same as a bag of sugar, and always looked up to my papa.
Of course, as I grew up he was the one trying to raise my interest in cycling as a sport, I suppose hoping for a future Eddie Merckx, who my papa new personally or Graham Obree, who grew up at our club. He was a very strange character who later went on to design & build his own bikes and become quite the world champion; and I used to go out riding and racing with him!
Papa bought me my first bike, a green Peugeot with 10 gears! He taught me the appropriate mechanics, how to maintain the bike, etc and to this day I have a good grasp of most things bike related. I started to race in our weekly club 10 mile road race, but really I was never committed enough for it and I rarely broke 27 minutes, which I am sure was a great disappointment for him. I still raced every week or so, attended club events and generally had a good time, making some very good friends through that time, including one with which I am still good friends to this day.
All through his life he encouraged youngsters to join the sport. He was often quite harsh with Graham Obree, but I am sure to this day Graham would still speak fondly of him. He travelled the UK and to a lesser degree, Europe, marshalling at events, supporting and promoting the sport, and acting as a conduit between the north and south, the BCF & SCU, the kids and the organisation. In fact he was sometimes said to be the most knowledgeable man in the sport in Scotland.
At his funeral, a huge crowd turned out to remember him in death as they respected him in life. He was often recognised by those in his beloved sport. The SCU presented him with their Gold Badge Of Honour, and the BCF with their equivalent 3 years later. He was presented with a Quaich from Musselburgh RCC in 1987, and later with a fully working model of a Modelo bicycle. In 1970, the same year in which he officiated at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, he was awarded the MBE for his services to cycling.
When he passed away in 1993, succumbing to cancer after years smoking full strength, non filter Capstan and rarely if ever "bothering the doctor" as was the tradition for his generation, he left his award, both medal and certificate, SCU and BCF medals, and numerous other awards and keepsakes to me.
He was more of a father to me than my birth father ever was, and I often think about him to this day, proudly showing visitors his award.
To the day he died, he called me his No 1
When we moved back from South Africa in 1978/1979, we moved in with them in their 3 bedroom house at 38 Cessnock Place, Bellfield, Kilmarnock. I was 10 at the time and very into this new life back in my own country. I spent a significant amount of time with my papa, in the greenhouse, in the garden, in the shed in the winter and having bonfires. At the same time, I remember always having visitors from our local cycling club, the Wallacehill CC, where he was a member for some 60 odd years, and marvelling at the guys who were always really fit, had bikes that weighed about the same as a bag of sugar, and always looked up to my papa.
Of course, as I grew up he was the one trying to raise my interest in cycling as a sport, I suppose hoping for a future Eddie Merckx, who my papa new personally or Graham Obree, who grew up at our club. He was a very strange character who later went on to design & build his own bikes and become quite the world champion; and I used to go out riding and racing with him!
Papa bought me my first bike, a green Peugeot with 10 gears! He taught me the appropriate mechanics, how to maintain the bike, etc and to this day I have a good grasp of most things bike related. I started to race in our weekly club 10 mile road race, but really I was never committed enough for it and I rarely broke 27 minutes, which I am sure was a great disappointment for him. I still raced every week or so, attended club events and generally had a good time, making some very good friends through that time, including one with which I am still good friends to this day.
All through his life he encouraged youngsters to join the sport. He was often quite harsh with Graham Obree, but I am sure to this day Graham would still speak fondly of him. He travelled the UK and to a lesser degree, Europe, marshalling at events, supporting and promoting the sport, and acting as a conduit between the north and south, the BCF & SCU, the kids and the organisation. In fact he was sometimes said to be the most knowledgeable man in the sport in Scotland.
At his funeral, a huge crowd turned out to remember him in death as they respected him in life. He was often recognised by those in his beloved sport. The SCU presented him with their Gold Badge Of Honour, and the BCF with their equivalent 3 years later. He was presented with a Quaich from Musselburgh RCC in 1987, and later with a fully working model of a Modelo bicycle. In 1970, the same year in which he officiated at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, he was awarded the MBE for his services to cycling.
When he passed away in 1993, succumbing to cancer after years smoking full strength, non filter Capstan and rarely if ever "bothering the doctor" as was the tradition for his generation, he left his award, both medal and certificate, SCU and BCF medals, and numerous other awards and keepsakes to me.He was more of a father to me than my birth father ever was, and I often think about him to this day, proudly showing visitors his award.
To the day he died, he called me his No 1
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