Tolkien, Trains, and Two Discoveries: Meccano and Hornby
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| Meccano, August 1931 |
Throughout his life, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien owned only two
motor vehicles: the first, purchased in 1932, was a Morris Cowley nicknamed
“Jo” after the first two letters of its number plate; the second, bought in
1937 to replace the first, he kept for only two years. Excluding the period
between 1932 and 1939, Tolkien relied on the bicycle for getting around Oxford
and on the train for longer journeys—a mode of transport he first experienced
in November 1894 at the age of two, when his mother Mabel took him on a trip to
the coast near Cape Town.
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Reading the various biographies—from the one written by Humphrey
Carpenter to the monumental work edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G.
Hammond—as well as Tolkien’s many letters, one realises just how much time he
spent travelling by train. From journeys between Oxford, where his family
lived, and Leeds, where he taught English Language and Literature between 1920
and 1925; to frequent trips in the years that followed to London for meetings
with his publisher—first Stanley Unwin, then his son Rayner; or when he
travelled from France to Italy for a holiday in Venice and Assisi in August
1955, accompanied by his daughter Priscilla; and of course, the journeys to
reach his favourite holiday destination, Bournemouth.
The train also “served” as a means of discovering a language that
Tolkien would go on to study and appreciate: Welsh. It was between 1900 and
1901, following the untimely death of his father Arthur, that he moved with his
mother Mabel and his brother Hilary to England, settling near the Catholic
church of St Dunstan, at 86 Westfield Road in Kings Heath. Their new home was
partly surrounded by the peaceful greenery at the back, and partly by the noise
coming from the railway on the other side. It was there that young Tolkien’s
attention was captured by the comings and goings of coal-laden trains heading
to South Wales, to places such as Nantyglo, Penrhiwceiber and Senghenydd,
bearing on their sides those “strange” names.
But references to trains can also be found where they seemingly
“shouldn’t” be—namely, in Middle-earth. In the first chapter of The Hobbit,
An Unexpected Party, when Thorin begins to explain the reasons behind
the quest about to be undertaken, he inevitably mentions the dangers they will
face, warning the company of the risk of not returning safe and sound. Tolkien writes:
This was Thorin’s style. He was an important dwarf. If he had been
allowed, he would probably have gone on like this until he was out of breath,
without telling any one there anything that was not known already. But he was
rudely interrupted. Poor Bilbo couldn’t bear it any longer. At may never return
he began to feel a shriek coming up inside, and very soon it burst out like
the whistle of an engine coming out of a tunnel.
In A Long-expected Party, the first chapter of The Lord of the
Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring, while describing Gandalf’s fireworks at
the birthday celebration of his old friend Bilbo Baggins, Tolkien writes:
The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault,
and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion.
Beyond all that has been mentioned so far, Tolkien even ended up with an
entire railway station in his own home—this, “thanks” to the passion some of
his children had for model railways.
The Children and Their “Train-mania”
Between the late 1920s and the early 1930s, one of the great attractions
for English boys was undoubtedly the railway and its trains. In England, one
train that fascinated both children and adults alike was certainly the Cheltenham
Flyer, considered at the time to be the fastest train in the world. This
marvel of the Great Western Railway (GWR) connected Paddington Station in
London to Cheltenham, passing through Reading, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, and
Gloucester. Many people would travel to these stations purely for the pleasure
of watching it speed past. Among them, as Humphrey Carpenter recounts, was
Tolkien himself, who accompanied his sons:
They also go to watch engines, and draw (with impressive precision)
pictures of Great Western Railway locomotives. Tolkien does not understand or
really approve of what he calls their ‘railway-mania’; to him railways only
mean noise and dirt, and the despoiling of the countryside. But he tolerates
the hobby, and can even be persuaded on occasions to take them on expeditions
to a distant station to watch the Cheltenham Flyer pass through. (Biography
156-157)
A small curiosity connected with Cheltenham: on 8 January 1913, Tolkien
travelled to that very town, where Edith was living at the time and had become
engaged to George Field. The two met at the station and then sat beneath a
railway viaduct to discuss their situation—Edith decided to break off the
engagement with George and marry Ronald, asking that the news be kept secret
for a while, with the sole exception of Father Francis Xavier Morgan, whom
Tolkien felt duty-bound to inform. (Chronology
42)
The passion for trains first emerged in Tolkien’s two eldest sons: John
Francis Reuel, born in 1917, and Michael Hilary Reuel, born in 1920.
Pinpointing the period during which their interest in trains arose and reached
its peak is not difficult. Though not abundant, a few references can be found
in Tolkien’s own words, particularly in Letters from Father Christmas
and in the biography by Humphrey Carpenter. So, what do we know today?
Between 1920 and 1943, just days before Christmas, a letter would arrive
at the Tolkien household for the professor’s young children. Inside were not
only Christmas greetings, but also illustrations and stories featuring Father
Christmas and his various helpers. Depending on the year, the letters were
signed by Father Christmas himself, by his chief assistant the North Polar
Bear, or, from 1936 onwards, by the elf Ilbereth. And behind each of them, of
course, was Professor Tolkien. Thanks to these letters, we know what J. R. R.
and his wife Edith were giving their children as Christmas presents.
For Christmas 1924, Michael, aged four, received a “engine” (with Father
Christmas writing “Hope the engine goes well. Take care of it”), while John,
three years his senior, “Hope you will like station and things” (Letters
from Father Christmas).
From the letter sent for Christmas 1928, addressed to the three
children—John (aged 9), Michael (6), and Christopher (4)—we read:
Well, my dears, I hope you will like the things I am bringing: nearly
all you asked for and lots of other little things you didn’t, and which I
thought of at the last minute. I hope you will share the railway things and
farm and animals often, and not think they are absolutely only for the one
whose stocking they were in. Take care of them, for they are some of my very
best things. (Letters from Father Christmas)
It was a passion for model railways that had gradually grown and been
nurtured by Tolkien’s second and third sons, Michael and Christopher, to the
point that, as Carpenter recounts when reconstructing a typical day in the
professor’s life in 1930:
Going into Michael’s bedroom, Tolkien nearly trips over a model railway
engine that has been left in the middle of the floor. He curses to himself.
Michael and Christopher have a passion for railways at the moment, and they
have devoted a complete upstairs room to a track layout. (Biography 156)
In 1930, Michael was ten years old and Christopher six. For the
following Christmas, Tolkien–Father Christmas wrote again to the youngsters at
home and, referring to their presents, said:
My dear Children
I hope you will like the little things I have sent you. You seem to
be most interested in Railways just now, so I am sending you mostly things of
that sort. [...] So, my dears, I hope you will be happy this Christmas and
not quarrel, and will have some good games with your Railway all together.
Don’t forget old Father Christmas, when you light your tree. (Letters from
Father Christmas)
Again, for Christmas 1932, in a new letter from the North Pole, Father
Christmas recounted an episode that had happened the previous week. Going down
to his cellars to fetch the presents bound for England, he noticed that someone
had thrown everything into disarray. He shared the matter with the North Polar
Bear, who replied:
“Paksu and Valkotukka, I expect,” he said. But it wasn’t. Next day
things were much worse, especially among the railway things, lots of which
seemed to be missing. I ought to have guessed, and Polar Bear anyway, ought to
have mentioned his guess to me. [it was the goblins]. (Letters from Father
Christmas)
In the Christmas 1933 letter we find the last known reference, to date,
to toy trains as presents for the children. Michael had reached the age of
thirteen, Christopher was nine, and Priscilla, born in 1929, was four years
old. Tolkien–Father Christmas wrote:
Polar Bear certainly has been busy helping, and double help—but he has
mixed up some of the girls’ things with the boys’ in his hurry. We hope we have
got all sorted out—but if you hear of anyone getting a doll when they wanted an
engine, you will know why. Actually Polar Bear tells me I am wrong—we did lose
a lot of railway stuff—goblins always go for that—and what we got back was
damaged and will have to be repainted. It will be a busy summer next year. (Letters
from Father Christmas)
As we have seen, toy trains were the most cherished Christmas gift for
the young Tolkiens. The question is: what kind of toy trains did Professor
Tolkien buy? The answer comes from my own research—helped along by a stroke of
luck—concerning the year 1933, which I present here for the first time to
Tolkien readers and enthusiasts. An answer that is confirmed by Father
Christmas’s letter from Christmas 1932. But
let us proceed in order.
Frank Hornby and His Meccano
In 1901, a new toy was invented and patented: Mechanics Made Easy, literally meaning “mechanics made simple” or “mechanics for everyone”. The inventor was a Liverpool clerk, Frank Hornby, who had the idea of creating a toy that was also educational, based on the basic principles of mechanical engineering to explain how gears and levers worked. The first set to be sold included bars and plates, perforated metal strips, gears, axles for movement, and collars, bolts and nuts, which could be assembled into various models using nothing more than a screwdriver and spanners.
Meccano—which is thought to derive from the English expression “make and
know”—proved to be an unexpected success worldwide, to the extent that Hornby
established his own factory to produce the sets and, in May 1905, founded
Meccano Ltd (originally Meccano Ltd. as a private company) after opening a new
factory in Liverpool. This became, for more than sixty years, the heart of an
empire with factories also in Argentina, France, and Spain.
As the years went by, the parts that in 1901 had been made of
tin-finished metal, with sharp edges and little robustness, were soon improved:
just a few years later they were produced in steel and nickel-plated, with
brass gears and washers. Between 1901 and 1921, Meccano sets were numbered from
1 to 6; in 1922, set No. 7 appeared on the market, featuring numerous
additional pieces that allowed the construction of countless models—making it
the most sought-after set available. In 1926, to mark the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the company’s founding, Hornby decided to paint the parts to be
assembled in red and green. These bright colours later gave way to darker
shades, until in the early 1930s they were replaced by gold and blue, which
were sold—up until the outbreak of the Second World War—exclusively in Britain.
In September 1916, Hornby launched the Meccano Magazine for those
who purchased his sets, a bi-monthly publication offering advice on what to
build and how to build it. Until 1918, the magazine was sent out free of
charge; thereafter, four issues could be received for the cost of two pence to
cover postage. From 1920, new Meccano components began to be advertised in the
magazine, which, two years later, became a monthly. By 1924 it featured a
colour cover and 96 pages, instead of the original eight, at the price of six
pence per issue. In the 1930s, the magazine reached a circulation of 70,000
copies and had evolved into a general hobby magazine aimed at “boys of all
ages”, with information on Hornby trains, Dinky Toys (die-cast reproductions of
aeroplanes, ships, and vehicles), and other Meccano Ltd. products, alongside
articles on camping, stamp collecting, photography, engineering, railways,
aircraft, and model-making.
The new “discoveries” come directly from Meccano Magazine,
specifically from volume XVIII, no. 3 (March 1933) and no. 6 (June 1933).
Tolkien, the Meccano Magazine, and the Hornby Railway Company
As we have seen, trains were of interest to all three of Tolkien’s sons,
but it was in Michael that what Carpenter calls “train-mania” truly took
root—and thanks to my own research, we can now state this with certainty.
In issue no. 3 (March 1933), on page 248, under the “Readers’ Sales”
section, we find an intriguing advertisement that reads:
Cash for four C.C.B. Red or Yellow “Break.” — Tolkien, 20, Northmoor
Road, Oxford.
This was the address to which Tolkien had moved only two years earlier.
In fact, it was merely a move of a few doors down, as his previous home—smaller
than the new one—had been at number 22 of the same street from 1926 to 1930.
From this advert, we learn that Tolkien—almost certainly on behalf of his
children—was seeking four red or yellow pieces of a model called “Break.”,
probably shorthand for Railway Breakdown Crane, a model railway
accessory produced by Meccano in those years.
In Oxford, Hornby parts could be purchased from the authorised dealer E.
de la Mare at 9/13 George Street, only about 600 metres north of Pembroke
College, where Tolkien had held the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of
Anglo-Saxon since 1925.
And references to Hornby can also be found in one of Letters from
Father Christmas—specifically, the letter from December 1932 sent to his
children:
North Polar Bear said, “I smell goblin strong.” Of course, it was
obvious:—they love mechanical toys (though they quickly smash them, and want
more and more and more); and practically all the Hornby things had gone!
Eventually we found a large hole (but not big enough for us), leading to a
tunnel, behind some packing-cases in the West Cellar. […] Ever since I moved
they must have been busy burrowing all the way to my Cliff, boring, banging and
blasting (as quietly as they could). At last they had reached my new cellars,
and the sight of the Hornby things was too much for them: they took all
they could. (Letters from Father Christmas)
In the same issue, we also find another interesting announcement, which
links to something we shall see later in the June edition.
During the past five years there have appeared in the H.R.C. pages oi the
"M.M." large numbers oi photographs illustrating various points of
model railway practice and showing how the greatest possible interest and enjoyment
can be obtained from at Hornby railway. These photographs have attracted
widespread attention on account of their remarkable realism, not only in the
actual railway arrangements depicted, but also in the various scenic effects
that are obtained. The recent introduction of the Hornby Countryside Sections
has greatly increased the possibilities in scenic realism, and consequently the
photographs have reached a further stage of interest.
Our correspondence shows that these illustrations have been of the greatest
value to model railway owners all over the world and have resulted in large
numbers of model railways being entirely reconstructed on railway-like principles.
The subjects dealt with in the photographs are very varied, and we should like
to know which are the must popular. In order to ascertain this we reproduce this
month twelve recent and typical examples of Hornby Railway photographs, and we
invite readers to place these in order of merit according to their own personal
views.
Competitors are required to do two things. First, they must decide upon
the order in which they think the photographs should be placed, and make a list
of the letters representing them accordingly. Second, they must state their
reason for selecting the particular photograph that they have placed first in
the list. There is no need for this to be stated at great length; all that is necessary
is to make it quite clear why the photograph in question was chosen as being
the most interesting of the series.
Prizes of Hornby Railway material (or Meccano products if preferred) to
the value of 21/-, 15/-, 10/6 and 5/- respectively will be awarded to the four competitors
in each section whose lists most accurately forecast the total vote of all the competitors.
In the event of a tie for any of the prizes preference will be given to the
neatest or most novel entry.
In addition there will be a number of consolation prizes.
Envelopes containing entries must be clearly marked “H.R.C. Photo
Voting Contest” in the top left-hand corner, and posted to reach
Headquarters at Meccano Ltd., Binns Road, Liverpool, 13, on or before 31st
March. The closing date for the Overseas Section is 31st May.
The contest was promoted on the “H.R.C. Competition Page” and was not
open to all model railway owners or casual readers, since at the bottom it
carried the following notice:
Competitions appearing on this page are open only to members of the
Hornby Railway Company. Envelopes containing entries should have the title of
the competition clearly written in the top left-hand corner and should be
addressed to the Hornby Railway Company, Binns Road, Liverpool 13. The name,
address, and membership number of each competitor should appear in clear writing
on every sheet of paper used.
In this way, anyone who met the requirements and was interested in
taking part in the contest had about twenty days to rank in order of preference
the twelve photographs of model railways—labelled with the letters A–M—explain
the reasons for their choices, and send everything to Meccano Ltd. in
Liverpool. Among those who duly followed the magazine’s instructions were the
Tolkien family.
At present, we do not know the order chosen by the Tolkiens, nor the
explanation they provided, but it is certain that, in addition to taking part,
they were awarded one of the consolation prizes. This is confirmed on page 471
of issue no. 6 of Meccano Magazine (June 1933), in a boxed section
announcing the contest results:
Competition Results
March “Popular Photo Contest.”—1. H. Millar
(26356), Bro'ty Ferry, Scotland. 2. C. G. Gibson (24036), Emyvale, Co.
Monaghan, Ireland. 3. D. M. Gilbert (19038), Hull. 4. H. Watson (33806),
Harrow. Consolation Prizes: E. H. Frewin (25098), Oldbury, nr.
Birmingham; J. J. Horne (17501), Dorn, Moreton-in-Marsh; L. Parish (18054),
Coventry; F. E. Saunders (7989), Folkestone; T. Scriven (31842), Merthyr
Tydfil; M. Tolkien (30992), Oxford; C. E. Chown (30438), Slough; C. G.
Tildsley (17624), Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent; J. Crawley (30035), Edge Hill,
Liverpool; B. Butler (13275), East Sheen, London, S.W. 14; C. Eagling (31292),
Mortlake, London, S.W. 14; G. M. Vickery (29533), Fordingbridge.
“M. Tolkien” refers to Michael Tolkien, Tolkien’s second son, and the
number 30992 was his Hornby Railway Company membership number.
But what was the H.R.C.? In 1928—hence the contest’s opening remark
“During the past five years”—pages 828–29 of the October 1928 issue (No. 10) of
Meccano Magazine carried the following announcement:
Hundreds of thousands of boys own Hornby Trains and take pride in the
possession of them, but very large numbers of these boys do not really know how
to run a railway system in miniature on correct lines. It has always been our wish
that a boy who possesses a Hornby Train shall obtain 100 per cent. fun from his
hobby but the difficulty has always been—how can we make our wish come true? We
have pondered over this problem for years and we believe that at last we have
solved it. The solution is the formation of an organisation to be known as the
“Hornby Railway Company,” which all owners of Hornby Trains may join and which
will look after their interests and enable them to get the best fun possible
from their Hornby miniature railway. The founder and chairman of the “Hornby
Railway Company” is Mr. Frank Hornby, the inventor of Meccano and Managing
Director of Meccano Limited. […] Mr. Hornby will be assisted by our own staff
of Railway Experts, who are trained men of long experience, full of enthusiasm
for their subject and keen to make the new venture a brilliant success. They
will fill the executive offices at Headquarters and guide the affairs of the
many Associated Branches of the “Hornby Railway Company” in local centres which
will be run by boy officials.
What were the foundations of this new association?
Behind this organisation stand the four Railway Groups of the United
Kingdom, all of which have entered fully into the spirit of the “Hornby Railway
Company.” They have already provided us with confidential railway information,
granted us access to their offices, works, engine sheds, and signal boxes, and
even offered us journeys on their most famous lines. Like us, they are keen to
see the Hornby Railway Company operate in harmony with the real railway
companies, and for that reason they are happy to help us and our friends in
every possible way. They have told us everything there is to know about modern
railway practice and supplied us with the printed figures they use in their
daily work—figures essential to the accurate construction of a miniature railway,
which will be reproduced and made available to our members.
The Hornby Railway Company will have its headquarters in Binns Road,
Liverpool, where a complete railway system has been set up for experimental and
testing purposes. There will be a Secretary, whose duty will be to correspond
with the representatives of local branches to assist them in their work. In
addition, there will be other officers who will help with various departmental
and advisory functions. The sole aim of this great organisation and of all its
representatives will be to ensure that every member, anywhere in the world, can
get the utmost enjoyment out of his hobby.
Who could join?
Any owner of a Hornby train set, no matter its size, can become a
member. All that is required is to fill in the official application form, sign
it, and send it to headquarters together with 6d in stamps to cover the cost of
the official badge—which the member will wear. This badge is beautifully
finished in red and green enamel and features a representation of a locomotive
surrounded by the words Hornby Railway Company. With this badge, members
will be able to recognise one another whenever they meet. The badge will
immediately show that they share a common interest—railways—and we are sure
that, after a handshake, a pleasant conversation will follow! Whether in your own
town, at the seaside, or in the countryside while on holiday, always keep an
eye out for an “H.R.C.” badge.
Members in each town, village, or district will come together to form a
local branch of the Hornby Railway Company. Each branch will be run by the
members themselves, who will appoint from among their number a general manager,
engineer, traffic superintendent, stationmaster, signalman, drivers, and any
other officers deemed necessary for the proper running of the group.
How was a local H.R.C. group formed?
When a local branch has at least six members, together with a permanent
chairman and a secretary elected by the members and holding regular meetings,
it may apply for registration with the parent company. Every affiliated society
will receive full instructions for setting up a miniature railway system. All
the necessary figures and documents—miniature versions of those used by the
great railway companies—can be purchased at a reduced cost, and their use will
greatly increase the enjoyment of the hobby.
The details of each local group will be left entirely in the hands of
its members. Headquarters will not interfere in matters such as the time and
place of meetings, membership, or rules for smooth running. The duty of the
local branch chairman will be to oversee the general organisation and running
of the group and to do his best to help members achieve the best possible
results. The local secretary will be responsible for communicating with members
about meetings and any other matters that may arise from time to time, and for
sending to headquarters, on the first of each month, a report of the branch’s
activities during the previous month.
The official organ of the Hornby Railway Company is the Meccano
Magazine, which, as our readers know, has always devoted considerable space
to matters relating to model railways. In future, a special section of the
magazine will be dedicated entirely to the Hornby Railway Company, with short
reports on the activities of local groups, especially those which may be useful
to other branches. In addition, every month there will be articles on miniature
railways in all their aspects, with detailed illustrations and descriptions,
including suggestions for modifying them to suit particular circumstances.
A handbook is in preparation dealing in detail with the Hornby Railway
Company, its organisation, and the tools needed for a local group to succeed.
It will also contain a wealth of information on how to operate a miniature
railway, listing the officers required and fully describing their duties. This
handbook will be sent from headquarters to local groups upon receipt of 2d in
stamps. Orders can be placed now, and copies will be dispatched in the order
received as soon as the handbook is published.
The H.R.C. in Oxford
A natural question arises as to whether a local group of the “Hornby
Railway Company” was also established in Oxford. The first indication can be
found on page 723 of issue no. 9, September 1929. Among the reports of groups
already active, the following appears:
New groups in formation
The following new Hornby Railway Company groups are currently being
formed, and all boys who are interested and eager to join this organisation
should contact the promoters, whose names and addresses are listed below. All
owners of Hornby trains or accessories are eligible to join, and the various
secretaries will be pleased to welcome all those who send in their
applications.
Among the groups in formation, we read:
Oxford — S. Rhodes, 45 Canning Crescent, Abingdon Rd., Oxford.
Oxford — D. J. Badham, 203 Woodstock Road, Oxford.
An interesting little coincidence is that D. J. Badham lived at 203
Woodstock Road, only about 700 metres from the Tolkien family’s residence at 20
Northmoor Road at the time.
In issue no. 11, November of the same year, on page 891, the Oxford
group still appeared among the unaffiliated groups, but the report provides
useful details:
Oxford Central Boys' School MX.—Although only recently formed this club
is very vigorous and active. Members have constructed a large club model of a
Giant Hammerhead Crane, which was exhibited throughout the School. Messrs. F.
Biggers and G, Hall, two Masters at the School are acting as Leaders anl
affiliation has been applied for Secretary: P. C. Bosworth, 72, Walton
Street, Oxford.
The Central Boys School of Oxford was a school founded by the Congregationalists in 1871, housed in a building on the east side of Gloucester Green behind their church, and it was without compulsory religious education. In 1898 it was taken over by the School Board, which built a new school, and in 1921 it was organised to admit boys aged between ten and sixteen with an entrance exam. It was closed in 1934 and relocated to Southfield.
In issue no. 5, May 1930, we learn that the group had been officially
affiliated, and we know the name of its first president:
Oxford Central Boy’s School M.C.— Mr D. G. Perry,
B.A., Headmaster of the school, has kindly consented to become President of the
club. Members have visited the G.W.R. works at Swindon. An extensive Hornby Train
Layout has been fixed on a large baseboard, several bridges, a Tunnel, and two Stations
being included. Club roll: 21. Secretary: P.C. Bosworth, 72 Walton
Street, Oxford.
Further information can be found in issue no. 12, December 1930, on page
967, where we learn of another group:
Churchill (Oxford).— The Chairman has presented a large scale model goods
depot constructed by himself, and a new station is being built for use on the
layout in order to allow the inclusion of four lines of traffic. Members are constructing
scale cardboard scale models of locomotives of L.M.S. “Royal Scot” class, and model
rolling stock of G.W.R. pattern also is being built. The Churchill M.C. has
become a repair and maintenance depot of the Branch, and is now usually referred
to as “Swindon.” Two interesting talks on “Modern Locomotives” have been
given by the Chairman. Secretary: R. Blake, The Forge, Churchill, Oxford.
These are, to date, the known details concerning the presence and
activities of H.R.C. groups in Oxford, with no evidence found regarding Tolkien
and his sons’ participation in the various activities organised by the
association’s members. Michael Tolkien, as noted, held membership card no.
30992 in 1933.
It should be noted that the Hornby Railway Company was established in
1928 and, from a survey of the magazine issues covering the various contests
involving members, membership numbers such as 10007 in November 1929, 21393 in
March 1931, 27784 in April 1932, and 29151 in June of the same year were found.
It is likely that Michael’s registration took place between late 1932—he turned
thirteen in October—and March 1933.
Some references to Michael Hilary Reuel’s passion for trains
On 22 October 1933, Tolkien gave his son the book A Register of all
the Locomotives now in use on the London & North-Western Railway,
compiled by C. Williams and published in 1922. Michael repurchased this edition
in 1969, after having lost the copy given to him by his father during the war,
and he wrote inside:
Stonyhurst July 21st 1969
replaces copy given me by J.R.R.T. on my 13th birthday 22/10/33 – lost
in war
Michael’s passion for trains continued throughout his life, as emerges
from the various editions on the subject found in his personal library. For
example, he owned three volumes of The Railway Magazine, the British
monthly railway enthusiast magazine first published in London in July 1897 and
still in circulation today. Michael had volumes: XXXVI no. 2 July–December
1915; XLII no. 1 January–June 1918; and XLIII no. 2 July–December 1918. On the
first page of each volume, the owner’s signature “Michael H. R. Tolkien” is
handwritten.
In July 1938, as reported in The Oratory Magazine, we know that
Michael gave a talk to the Scientific Society on “The History of Trains”, where
within a limited time he provided a comprehensive description of the
achievements and limitations of all the famous trains from the “Rocket” to the
“Coronation Scot”, explaining how to distinguish one class from another and the
difficulties overcome and those still to be faced in their construction. (Eden 18)
Other trains books known to be in Michael’s library include: Trains
‘seventy’ by J.B. Bell, signed ‘Michael H. R. Tolkien, Stonyhurst,
Christmas 1969’; Observer’s book of railway locomotives of Britain (London:
Frederick Warne and Co., 1957), edited and revised by H.C. Casserley, signed ‘Michael
H. R. Tolkien, Stonyhurst, June 22nd, 1971’; and Traveling by train in the Edwardian age
(London: Allen & Unwin 1979) by Philip Unwin signed ‘Michael H.R. Tolkien,
Clitheroe, 7/1/80’.
Some references to the passion for trains of Michael Hilary Reuel
Michael Hilary Reuel, Tolkien’s second son, was born in Oxford on 22
October 1920 and had as his godparents Monsignor Augustine Emery, the priest
whom his father met at Great Haywood, and Mother Mary Michael of the Sisters of
Mercy in Hull, whom he met when she visited him in hospital in the summer of
1917 during the First World War.
Michael is linked to the birth of the novel Roverandom, which his
father imagined when, at the age of four, he lost his toy dog while they were
on holiday in Filey. Together with his brother Christopher, he nurtured a great
passion for trains and trees:
"As a child I witnessed deforestation in favour of internal
combustion engines, considering it the indiscriminate killing of living beings
for petty ends. My father listened with interest to my angry remarks and when I
asked him to write a story in which the trees take terrible revenge on the
lovers of machines, he replied ‘I shall write one’" (March
of the Ents? Ed.).
Michael attended the Dragon School in Oxford, then the Oratory School in
Berkshire, and after a year went on to Trinity College, before enlisting in the
anti-
aircraft artillery at the start of the Second World War. He served first
defending British airfields during the famous Battle of Britain, between the
summer and autumn of 1940, and later in France and Germany. He was then
seriously injured in an accident involving a military vehicle during training
and was hospitalised in Worcester. Considered a war invalid, he returned to
Oxford in 1944 to complete his degree. At the end of the conflict, he was
awarded a medal for his actions defending airfields during the Battle of
Britain.
On 11 September 1941 he married Joan Griffiths and had his first son
Michael George Reuel, Tolkien’s first grandson and favourite, who later became
a writer and poet, and then two daughters, Joan and Judith. Graduating in
History, he was helped in his studies by Ronald B. McCallum of Pembroke
College, a close friend and colleague of his father, and in 1959 he taught in
the Midlands. Between 1960 and 1970 he taught classical studies at Stonyhurst
College before moving later to Waddington. He died in 1984 from a serious illness.
Curiosities
Browsing through numerous issues of Meccano Magazine, I came across some
curious references such as an advertisement on page 165 of the November 1923
issue promoting Lott’s Bricks. At the beginning of the 20th century, Germany
held the lead in manufacturing and exporting toys, a position drastically reduced
by the First World War. Soon after the war, the British government encouraged
the English toy industry as a way to revive the economy and provide employment
for former soldiers. It was in 1918 that E. A. Lott designed and began
marketing the Lott’s Bricks sets, consisting of cardboard bricks and roofs for
building small structures. It was a great success, reaching a peak when Queen
Mary, consort of King George V, purchased a set, thus helping to surpass the
then most famous competitor, the German construction toy maker Anchor. Lott
later produced several sets, each with its own series, including Modern,
Lodomo, and Tudor.
The Lott’s Bricks set was also among the Christmas gifts that
Tolkien-Babbo Natale gave to his sons John and Michael for Christmas 1923:
“I send you lots of love (and lots for Michael too) and Lotts Bricks too
(which are called that because there are lots more for you to have next year if
you let me know in good time). I think they are prettier and stronger and
tidier than Picabrix. So I hope you will like them.” (Letters from Father
Christmas)
Another curiosity, for which I must admit there is no evidence or
documentation, comes from two images appearing in adverts published in 1930 and
1931 respectively. In the first advert of 1930 promoting the activities of the
Hornby Railway Company, a father and son are seated next to a model railway
with a Hornby train, the Southern 329. In the second advert, published in the
August 1931 issue (number 8) promoting Hornby Trains, the same father and son
are seen playing with a model railway, this time a Hornby “Royal Scot” train.
The father portrayed in both adverts is not a drawing but a photograph,
showing a man dressed smartly wearing glasses and smoking a pipe. It may be a
personal impression, but to me this looks like J. R. R. Tolkien, perhaps with
his 10–11-year-old son Michael.
[*] This is the English translation of my article, "Tolkien, i treni e due scoperte: Meccano e Hornby", published on 25 November 2017.
Bibliography
Carpenter, Humphrey. J. R. R. Tolkien. Biography. London: HarperCollinsPublishers.
Eden, Bradford Lee. Michael H. R. Tolkien (1920-84): a research travelogue in Journal of Tolkien Research vol. 2, no. 1, 2015
Gairns, John F. The Railway
Magazine. London: G.A.
Sekon, vol. XXVI no. 2 July-December 1915
—. vol. XLII no. 1
January-June 1918.
—. vol. XLIII n. 2
July-December 1918.
Meccano Ltd. Meccano Magazine. Liverpool: Meccano
Ltd., no. 3, November 1923
—. Vol. XIV, no. 9, September 1929
—. Vol. XIV no. 11, November 1929
—. Vol. XV no. 5, May 1930
—. Vol. XV no. 12, December 1930
—. Vol. XVI no. 3, March 1931
—. Vol. XVI no. 8, August 1931
—. Vol. XVII no. 4, April 1932
—. Vol. XVIII no. 3, March 1933
—. Vol. XVIII no. 6, June 1933
Scull, Christina; Hammond, Wayne G., The
J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide. Vol.
1 Chronology. London: HarperCollins,
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Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the
Rings.
—.
Letters from Father Christmas.
—. The hobbit.
Williams, C. A Register of all the
Locomotives now in use on the London & North-Western Railway. Crewe,
1922.