Joseph Charles Victor Mitchell was a dentist, inventor, and pioneer railway preservationist.
20 Facts About Vic Mitchell
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Vic Mitchell was the author or editor of, and publisher of, more than 600 books on railways in the United Kingdom and Europe.
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Joseph Charles Victor Mitchell was born on 1 March 1934 in Hampton, London to Wilfred and Amey Mitchell.
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Vic Mitchell's father was a dentist whilst his mother worked in photography.
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When Vic Mitchell was 9, a week was spent at Axminster, Devon.
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Vic Mitchell spent most of that week riding the train on the Lyme Regis branch line.
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In 1972, Vic Mitchell invented a dentist's tool, the Illuminated Probing Handpiece, which won the United Kingdom a gold medal at the Exposition de Innovation in Geneva, Switzerland that November and was shown on the BBC television programme Tomorrow's World.
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Vic Mitchell was introduced to the Duke of Edinburgh when he visited.
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From 1981 to 1984, Vic Mitchell operated a pair of Fowler ploughing engines which he used to dredge lakes.
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Vic Mitchell died on 18 January 2021 at Middleton Lodge, Midhurst.
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Vic Mitchell returned to the line shortly after with his parents.
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Vic Mitchell is recorded as saying that Garraway "was to have a bearing on my life on a number of occasions subsequently".
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Vic Mitchell's loyalties were divided, but he decided that the Festiniog Railway was the better scheme of the two.
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Vic Mitchell told Rolt of his decision to move to the Festiniog, only to be told that by Rolt there was "only room for one preserved railway in Great Britain".
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Vic Mitchell performed many tasks on the railway, including acting as a fireman and guard.
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Vic Mitchell helped the Festiniog Railway achieve its aim of reaching Blaenau Ffestiniog, from which it had been cut off by the construction of the Llyn Ystradau reservoir.
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Vic Mitchell persuaded them of its benefits, and that of having a joint station with British Rail.
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In 1978, Vic Mitchell published his first railway item, a route map of the London and South Western Railway.
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In 1980, Vic Mitchell was involved in a fundraiser for St Mary Magdalene and St Denys Church, Midhurst.
20.
Vic Mitchell got into conversation with him and it was felt that there might be demand for a book on the railways in the area.