A personal tribute to one of Britain's most enthusiastic road and rail steam photographers by Peter Berry

Mike was born in Barnstaple in 1943 and like many other rail enthusiasts, was greatly influenced by the railway scene around him as he grew up. His favourite locomotives were the magnificent Bullied pacific's that he would see every day, their beautiful nameplates were a sight to behold, and especially number 34005 named Barnstaple. To many Mike was known by the nick name of Squeak which has its roots in his Devonshire past.

Although not old enough to witness the Lynton And Barnstaple Railway in operation himself, he did say that Lynton And Barnstaple Railway gave rise to a keen interest in Narrow gauge railways. This interest grew into a passion that led Mike to travel world wide, to experience and photograph numerous narrow gauge steam railways. One of his regrets was that he never managed to visit the narrow gauge sugar mill railways of Java, as the heat would have been too extreme. One of the founder members of the North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway at Toddington, he would help to restore and drive the locomotives, such as Justine and Chakas Kraal to name but two. Aware of his own mobility limitations Mike was also quite happy to undertake more menial tasks such as ticket sales and cleaning, allowing more able volunteers to continue with the heavier activities.

North Glos Narrow Gauge Jung built 0-4-0WT named Justine, works number 939 of 1906, working a passenger service on the Lynton and Barnstaple railway near Woody Bay, on the 27th December 2008, Photo by Mike Squire.

Without doubt Mike was one of the most well travelled railway photographers, in fact there were few countries where steam existed, that he did not visit. As an accomplished and much published photographer, his camera of choice in the early years was a twin reflex Rolliflex for Black and White prints and later a Mamiya 645 for colour transparencies. In addition a whole variety of different 35mm cameras were used over years for 35mm transparencies. For over 50 years Mike shared his railway passion with like minded enthusiasts by giving slide shows all over the country, accompanied with many humorous stories and tales of the line side. Mike did progress to a more modern Canon 10D digital camera, but was not fully convinced by this new fangled technology, as all he ever did was view the images on the back of the camera screen and nothing else.

Mike's professional career in accountancy brought him initially to Gloucester in the early/mid 1960's, his home being in Weston Road. His mode of transport at the time was a trusty Vespa scooter on which Mike was unmistakable in his crash helmet, big toothy grin and long indestructible heavy overcoat which seemed to last forever. He spent many happy hours as one of the Gloucester Horton road crossing gang of enthusiasts who would meet most evenings and weekends alongside Tramway Junction signal box. As an enthusiast the highlight on Sunday's in Gloucester in 1967 were the procession of scrap trains taking Southern region locomotives to the South Wales scrap yards making their final journey. Mike was close to tears on one occasion as the scrap train contained none other than locomotive 34005 Barnstaple on the way to meet it's end. The end of Southern steam was witnessed during 1967 as well as going to 'The Heathen North' as Mike called it, to witness the final run down of steam operations in Britain during 1967 and 1968.

LNER J94 Class 0-6-0ST locomotive 68012 built by Hunslet in 1944 as works number 3174, along with Southern Railway USA 0-6-0T locomotive number 30067 built by VIW in 1943 as works number 4380, plus sister locomotive number 30069 and West Country class 4-6-2 locomotive number 34018 Axminster, on their way to Cashmores scrapyard in South Wales seen passing through Over Sidings Gloucester, on the 8th March 1968. At the time scrap locomotives were conveyed to the scrapyards through Gloucester in groups of 4 at a time. Locomotive number 0-6-0T 68012 had arrived at Over in a goods train consist from the North, on the 19th January 1967 having been stopped because of a hot axle box. It therefore waited for another 3 locomotives to arrive so that it could continue it's journey to Wales. Photo by Mike Squire.

The transportation of California Crossing signal box as it approaches Barton Street Crossing south of Gloucester Eastgate station after being rescued by members of the Dowty Railway Preservation Society for preservation at Ashchurch, on the 7th March 1976, Photo by Mike Squire.

Career enhancement took Mike to Stratford Upon Avon where he soon be came a familiar member amongst the local railway enthusiast community. It did not take too long for railway connections and friendships to be forged between enthusiasts at Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stratford and Birmingham that led to the exchange of slide shows and car sharing on long haul railway photography trips. It was not unheard of for day trips to be run from Gloucester to the Settle to Carlisle line as well as to Fort William and it was through Mike that many lasting friendships were forged during these trips. Although Mike was never a fully able man being troubled by a long standing arthritis condition, this in no way deterred Mike for pursing his railway interests. Mike always said that he really needed a heavy general overhaul at either Eastleigh or Swindon to sort him out. Even during the 1960's Mike struggled to put his socks on and yet some 40 years later was capable of pushing the limits of human endurance through sub-zero temperatures and adverse terrain. Even if it took a bit longer, Mike was still able to get himself to the photography spot above Tunnel 4 in Jingpeng China and to the top of the Montague pass in South Africa, such was his determination. Mike's fortitude was also demonstrated in 1983 with a visit to Ribblehead viaduct to photograph the Midland compound locomotive number 1000. The conditions on the day were far from ideal with severe snowstorms requiring extreme weather gear, with a covering of ice and snow for the intrepid photographers. Mike however continued in these appalling conditions wearing his usual slacks, skimpy jumper sports jacket and no hat, on the same day a fell walker died on the slopes of Ingleborough.

Ex MR Compound 4-4-0 number 1000 pilots ex LMSR Jubilee class 4-6-0 number 5690 Leander on a southbound Cumbrian Mountain Pullman breasting Ais Gill summit on the Settle to Carlisle line, on the 12th February 1983, Photo by Mike Squire.

Mike was a generous man who volunteered his time in a number of capacities. After he had retired he maintained the accounts for his local primary school in Stratford. This in addition to volunteering at the Restoration and Archiving Trust once a week and at the North Gloucestershire Narrow gauge railway meant that Mike was never at a loose end. Weekends during the summer months would be spent travelling around Britain to the various vintage steam rallies, sometimes accompanied by Malcom Ranieri, to photograph the road steam preservation movement in action.

Mike's railway photographic adventures took him to many different countries including Zimbabwe, South Africa, Brazil, China, the USA, most of mainland and Eastern Europe, Sweden, Eritrea, Syria, Jordan, Pakistan, India, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Cuba to name but a few. On one of Mike's many trips made to Cuba, when leaving, he was stopped by the customs department in Havana airport. During his visit Mike had acquired a locomotive makers plate from a Baldwin locomotive that he had placed in his suitcase for return to the UK. The customs official opened Mike's suitcase and took out the plate, with Mike trying to look a little surprised. The official then noticed a pair of Spedo swimming trunks in the suitcase. Without saying anything and with a nod of the head, the official grabbed the Spedo trunks and replaced the makers plate in the suitcase, allowing him back on his way to the UK. Mike probably got the best deal in this customs exchange. One further foreign travel exploit occurred in South Africa during The Cape 'Mountaineer' a two week long rail tour in 1990. On this and many previous trips, Mike was noted for his economical use of trousers, which became the subject of much humorous comment and speculation amongst the other tour participants. On the final day of the trip Mike decided to get his own back and arranged for the tour participants to congregate around the locomotive footplate. Whilst on the footplate of the locomotive Mike ceremonially removed his trousers and fed them into the firebox resulting in a plume of black smoke from the chimney with cheers all round from the tour participants. Mike took this all in the best of humour and thankfully did have another spare pair of trousers for the return journey.

Mike Squire in the process of the infamous burning of his torn and dirty trousers aboard the Cape Mountaineer rail tour, South Africa in 1990.

After suffering a debilitating stoke in 2016 the last seven years of Mike's life were spent in a care home restricting his movements to the environs of the home. Mike still retained his razor sharp mind which must at times have made life very difficult for him. Mike was a unique and well respected man who achieved so much and was admired by those who knew him throughout the world. Mike's railway photographic legacy is therefore extensive, and is now under the care of the Restoration and Archiving Trust at Toddngton. A small selection of Mike's railway photographs are shown below.