FAIRBOURNE is mourning the passing of a much-loved local character.

Lionel Reid, one of the Fairbourne Railway’s most prominent volunteers and a musician with the Tywyn Silver Band, died last week after a short illness.

The father-of-five was a popular figure along the Meirionnydd coast and was renowned for his charisma and sense of humour.

Lionel, 71, had a varied career including driving a bus, driving a taxi and even piloting planes in Australia.

Additionally he was an accomplished tuba player who played with the Tywyn Silver Band for three decades.

His daughter Nicole remembers her father as “a man who everybody knew and loved”.

“He was a wonderful man and we’ve had literally hundreds of people paying their respects,” Nicole told the Cambrian News.

“Everybody knew him whether it was through the railway, the band or his work as a taxi driver - I think he’s got a lot of people out of trouble at one time or another!

“He was always happy and enthusiastic, especially around vehicles, he loved anything that had an engine.

“He was a fighter too. He fought to stay alive over the weekend until we had all seen him and he was lucid and in good spirits.

“Then he slipped away peacefully.

“The hard part is that he’d just found love a couple of years ago. He was engaged to his lovely Irish fiancée Margaret and they had plans to travel the world.

“He was happy up until the very end though, he was like 15-year-old in love.”

Jonathan Byrne, the chair of Fairbourne Railway Preservation Society, also paid tribute to his friend.

“Lionel was a long-standing volunteer at the Fairbourne Railway who spent so much time and did so much that he was often mistaken for a member of full-time staff,” he said.

“It is fair to say that his character and enthusiasm has encouraged many volunteers to contribute to the railway, especially where train crews were concerned, myself included.

“Amongst other things, he was fireman, driver, mechanical engineer, loco inspector and well known for his mischievous sense of humour.

“Lionel served on the FRPS committee for many years and in recognition of his ‘above and beyond’ contributions to the railway he was awarded a life membership — a very rare accolade.

“When he wasn’t working on the railway, he could often be found at the Point, working on his yacht, the Calypso.

“If you couldn’t find him in the workshop, it was a good bet you’d find him on the platform bench enjoying his lunch and pipe,” Jonathan continued.

“His favourite Fairbourne loco was Russell, closely followed by Beddgelert, Sherpa and Yeo who he spent a lot of time working on recently.

“He loved his family very much and was often engrossed in conversation with his children on his phone.

“He will be sadly missed.

“Be sure to keep an eye on us all mate.”