 WEC Watkinson (1910-1981), who was always known to his family and friends as Ted, spent most of his life in Worcestershire where he was a successful farmer. He was a President of the Jersey Cattle Society and a judge at many agricultural shows.
Ted Watkinson’s mother had been born in Scotland and he developed a love of the country’s railways from holidays spent in the Highlands in the 1920s. He took an interest in railway preservation in Scotland from its beginnings in the early 1960s. His financial support made possible the preservation and restoration of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s Caledonian Railway 0-4-4T 419. Ted later became the Society’s President.
One of the first Directors of the Strathspey Railway, Ted Watkinson served as Chairman from 1979 until his death and made a vital contribution to its success. He purchased Black Five 5025 and the LMS coaches for the Railway, all of which he had restored to their original condition
The WEC Watkinson Trust was set up to own the rolling stock preserved by the late WEC Watkinson on the Strathspey Railway. The trust has achieved charitable status, one of the benefits of this is the ability to recover income tax deducted from deeds of covenant and receipts under gift aid.. The trust is registered in Scotland as Charitable Trust No. Sco 28902.
The Trust members are; Neil Sinclair (Chairman), Arthur Lindsay (Secretary), Bill Macphail (Treasurer), Bill McCarthy, Colin Vaughan, Dave Inglis, Keith Holyland, Eric Cooper, Norman Cameron, Paul Blount and Stephen Wood.
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