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To Europe For Steam

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Buckeye, Jun 3, 2020.

  1. Buckeye

    Buckeye New Member

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    To Europe For Steam

    Does anyone remember this organisation? Used to be run by someone called Bill Alborough and was based in Loughborough - IIRC he was a manager for ICI or similar worldwide company. I was a member for a few years in the late 70’s/early 80’s and went on one trip to Saalfeld in East Germany when it was still behind the wall.

    Just wondering how long it carried on for and what happened to the organisation.

    Buckeye
     
  2. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    I travelled with TEFS quite a few times, and found them better organised than some groups in the late 1970's.
    I think Bill worked for Fisons chemicals. The last trip I did with them was 1984 to Turkey, but I used them for travel insurance for odd trips to Switzerland and Austria up to 1988.
    I did hear that they organised reunions for some years in the 1990's, but with a young family I never really took much notice.

    Cheers, Neil
     
  3. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Did two tours with TEFS. Poland 1990 and Cuba 1992.
     
  4. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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    I went with TEFS eight or nine times between 1979 (Austro-Hungary) and 1990 (Portugal) including the Easter 1984 Turkey trip. ISTR Bill was still running trips throughout the 90's but on a lower key for his 'regulars' latterly. He had a re-union on the IoM in the late 90's. By and large Bill's trips did "what it said on the box" and a lot of his business was 'repeat trade' so he must have been doing something right. I've attached a couple of photos taken on TEFS trips to Turkey and Sudan.
    Ray.
    TCDD 46102 at Izmir Basmane station Mar 1983a.jpg SGR Pacific #266 heading south from Sennar Jc.jpg
     
  5. Nimbus

    Nimbus New Member

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    I travelled with TEFS many times, starting with East Germany and Poland in 1985 when still behind the Iron Curtain. Other tours included China (twice), Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines (twice), Zimbabwe, Australia and many parts of Europe. After starting as To Europe, it had become To Everywhere For Steam! Bill's tours were always enjoyable and run at a reasonably relaxed pace. The second tour to the Philippines was to be life changing for me, when like quite a few tour participants to that wonderful country (including Bill himself), I fell in love and subsequently married a Filipina!
     
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  6. Nimbus

    Nimbus New Member

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    Bill providing the motive power for a run-past at Hawaiian Philippines Sugar Mill in the Philippines. 2020-06-04_10-42-08.jpg
     
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  7. andrewshimmin

    andrewshimmin Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic photos, Ray.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
  8. Richard Roper

    Richard Roper Well-Known Member

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    My Girlfriend and I frequently went on holiday to Germany with National Holidays. 3 or 4 years ago, I got talking to a chap on the coach, and he gave me a Tramway magazine featuring Trams in my hometown of Halifax. It turns out it was Bill. I didn't know his background, other than that he said he had run a travel company. but did some research after we returned home. He was a very pleasant chap to speak with - I think we bored the pants off the "Normals" on the coach with our in-depth Railway conversations!
    Here's what I found online anyway...
    https://companycheck.co.uk/company/03205143/TEFS-RAILWAY-TOURS-LIMITED/companies-house-data

    Richard.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2020
  9. Buckeye

    Buckeye New Member

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    Thank you all for the information.
     
  10. David Alborough

    David Alborough New Member

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    So lovely to read all the comments about my father Bill Alborough.
    Unfortunately I have to say he passed away overnight.
    He loved steam railways all over the world, and I think he has left a lot of people with happy memories of tours that he organised.
    Please continue to post your stories.
    Thank you
     
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  11. Johnb

    Johnb Nat Pres stalwart

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    Very sad to hear that. My condolences to you and your family.
     
  12. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry for your loss, David. Bill was a 'larger than life' character and will be missed.
    Ray.
     
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  13. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    Very sad to hear. My sincerest condolences.
     
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  14. Romsey

    Romsey Part of the furniture

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    So sad to hear the news. My condolences to you and your family.
    Thanks for all the memories and fantastic trips.

    Neil
     
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  15. Richard Roper

    Richard Roper Well-Known Member

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    Very sorry to hear that David, your Father was a very interesting and knowledgeable man.
    My condolences to you and your family.

    Richard.
     
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  16. huochemi

    huochemi Part of the furniture

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    Very sad news. He will be missed. I knew of him for many years but only finally got to meet him when I returned to the UK a few years ago. We used to sit together at the RCTS meetings in Nottingham until lockdown put a stop to them earlier this year. My condolences.
    Robin Gibbons
     
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  17. Spamcan81

    Spamcan81 Nat Pres stalwart

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    Deepest condolences to you and your family David. One abiding memory of your dad was on the Aeroflot flight back from Havana in March 1992. I was sat next to your father and we were talking to a Russian lass. The chap in the seat behind was out of his skull on alcohol but the Russian cabin crew did nothing about it. Eventually the guy got up and made a lunge for the Russian lass. Me and your dad sprung to her defence, got him in a hammer lock and shut him in the loo. Didn't have any more trouble from him after that. Rest easy Bill.
     
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  18. Nimbus

    Nimbus New Member

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    David
    I was very sad to hear of Bill's passing. Deepest condolences to you and all your family from me and Julie.
    Nigel Menzies
     
  19. Sixwheeler

    Sixwheeler New Member

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    I've just joined this forum and found the posts about Bill.
    The attached photographs maybe of interest to those that knew him. My last trip with him was to the Ji-Tong Railway in China in August 2004 when these photographs were taken.
     

    Attached Files:

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