George Train

George Train was one of Scotland’s foremost actuaries, serving the Scottish Provident, Scottish Amicable and Scottish Widows companies, and was elected chairman of the Association of Scottish Life Officers. His great passion, however, was transport, and although illness cut his career short, his hobby he was able to resume.

He belonged to most transport societies in the UK, and was a founder member of the Glasgow University Railway Society, the Omnibus Society and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. In 1964 he established the Coastal Cruising Association (CCA), a body formed to organise cruises along sections of the coastline that had long forgotten the tradition. Over many years the CCA has promoted numerous cruises that were planned and funded by Train, and a high spot every year was the round-Britain cruise by the paddle steamer Waverley, the last ocean-going paddle ship in the world. Train had funded much of the restoration work that enabled the Waverley to return to active service. He was elected honorary president of the CCA in 2004. Train had a wicked sense of humour and was extremely sociable, enjoying Scottish country dancing, at which he met his wife, Wendy, in 1964. When she died in 1986, shortly before his illness, he received strength from his church, St Columba’s, Blackhall, Edinburgh.