David Booth
Dave Booth has had a life-long interest in the railway and been a member of the Supporters’ Association since 1971. He became actively involved in the Association in 1982 when the Groudle Glen Railway restoration commenced and spent 16 years closely involved with that project. He has spent two periods as Editor of our journal Manx Steam Railway News: 1986-2001 and 2014-2019. For fifteen years from the mid-1980s, he also organised the Association’s last Mainland Area Group meetings in the northwest of England.
Dave is a qualified Mechanical Design / Project Engineer with 40 years experience in the Power Generation and Chemical Industries. These skillsets have been employed in several I.M.R. restorations / new builds; wagon M.78, wagon H.1, the slotted signal at Castletown, Mill Road Gate Hut and a variety of other smaller projects. All of which have been run in a professional manner and brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
He spent several years actively campaigning for the addition of original I.M.R. buildings to the Protected Buildings Register. This involved research and preparation of detailed Registered Building proposals and liaison with the island's Planning Department’s Conservation Officer. Eleven buildings were submitted to the Planning Department with all eventually achieving registered status.
In 2012, Dave became concerned about what was being proposed in the Port Erin Regeneration Project - the station’s toilet block was to be demolished and the Waiting Room converted into a toilet. Additionally the station site was to be condensed further with the western end being given over to a ‘Plaza Area’. He produced two different schemes which were submitted to the Regeneration Committee. Many of the features in his proposed alternative schemes were incorporated, which resulted in the Waiting Room being saved and prevented the site from being cut-back further.
He was a Director of the I.o.M.S.R.S.A. from 1995 until 2010, and re-joined the Board in 2015.