UPDATE

Another arrival earlier this year was No.4 from the Talyllyn Railway, it is also with us for its ten yearly overhaul.

So far the engine has been dismantled with the boiler tubes removed before sand blasting, and then a full inspection prior to the application of a protective coat of paint. The wheelsets have been turned on the lathe to reprofile them and work has begun on the chassis of the engine with the goal of returning it to a rolling chassis this year.

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of one of the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s volunteers and avid supporters, Harm de Boer, in Barbados on 16th July, 2023.

Harm began working on the Railway in the autumn of 2012, as part of a small team of dedicated volunteers. Initially focusing on the project to reinstate the intermediate stations he was key to the constructional, painting, and gardening efforts. After the project’s completion, Harm was actively involved in maintaining the infrastructure which had been established, as well as further developing the gardens. He continued in this role until 2020, when he returned to Barbados to live with his beloved daughter Tanya and granddaughter Olivia. After his departure, Harm continued to keep in touch with fellow volunteers Maurice Kyle and Mark Bouchier, via Skype.

A keen walker, Harm accompanied Maurice Kyle during his two years of reconnoitring and researching for most of the walks in the guidebook, sponsored by the Railway, called ‘Railway Walks in the Vale of Rheidol’. In testament to their close friendship Harm is featured in many of the photos in the book.

Harm de Boer was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1946, but grew up in Arnhem. After gaining practical experience working on a local farm, he completed a college diploma in agriculture, and then went to Africa as an agricultural volunteer. Upon finishing his term there, Harm moved to the UK and enrolled at the University of Reading, where he read Agricultural Economics. It was there he met his future wife, Yolande. They were later married in Yolande’s home country of Barbados. Post graduation, the couple returned to Africa (Zambia), a continent for which Harm had developed a great affection. There he worked for several years, during which time son Pieter was born. The family moved back to the Netherlands for the birth of their daughter Tanya, and then to Jamaica, where Harm had found a job as a research agronomist.

In 1981, the family moved to Barbados, where Harm continued to work as an research agronomist until his retirement in 2011. During his career, Harm wrote and presented many research papers, his speciality covering the cultivation of yam, pineapple, and sugar cane. Although quiet and self-effacing, Harm was internationally respected in his field, and widely cited in other scientists’ research. Interestingly, he even discovered a new species of parasitic nematode which was named after him (‘Trophurus deboeri n.sp.’).

Harm never spoke of his life achievements to his VOR colleagues, and the accolades mentioned above only came to light after his death. The most telling of these was his being awarded ‘Honorary Silver Crown of Merit’ by the GovernorGeneral of Barbados for his work in the sugar industry; this is the country’s highest award for meritorious service or achievement worthy of national recognition, seldom awarded to nonBarbadians.

Harm was a good-natured, quiet, constantly cheerful yet humble man, working well with others, and a good listener, while holding to strong moral principles. He was especially committed to treating everyone with dignity, respect, and equality.

Harm will be sorely missed by everyone at the Vale of Rheidol, and by his many life-long friends around the world. We give our deepest condolences to his family, Tanya, Pieter, Andrijana, Olivia, and Yolande.