World’s Greatest Train Spotter Dead At 67

WORLD’S GREATEST TRAIN SPOTTER DEAD AT 67 - submitted by Dave Emmington

Bill Curtis, widely considered to be the "world's greatest train spotter," and a great railway character, died in Clacton-on-Sea in England last week. Mr. Curtis, was listed in the 1999 Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific train spotter in the world. At that time he had "observed and recorded" more than 100,000 locomotives. (I thought I was doing well at 10,000, including 3,000+ CNR!).

Curtis was also an ardent "shed-basher," in that he enjoyed visiting railway yards and facilities – often without official approval. Indeed, he was arrested several times at gunpoint whilst "bashing" in the then communist countries of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Mr. Curtis spent much of his later life as a homeless, free spirit traveling the rails in pursuit of his beloved engine numbers. Curtis was married at one time, but when asked to decide on train spotting versus his marriage, he of course, chose the former. He spent much of his later life living on the seafront in Clacton-on-Sea, or sleeping on railway stations benches.

Bill Curtis was 67.