TRIBUTES have been paid tribute to a founder member of the Moss Bank Park Model Railway who has died at the age of 83.

Albert Stones will be remembered fondly by generations of families in his drivers hat at the head of the model train.

The grandfather-of-six was also a president of Bradshaw Cricket Club and in his working life was managing director for Bolton firm Townson Asphalt Company Limited.

His widow Elizabeth Stones, aged 75, said: "He did a lot and I did a lot. He divided his time between the park and Townson.

"He was always busy and when he retired he focussed on the park. We were both busy with our own things, but in a nice way.

"I will miss him very much."

Mr Stones was born in 1933 and lived in Great Lever with his parents Jim and Bertha Stones and sister Margaret.

A former pupil of St Simon and St Jude's CE Primary School, he attended The County Grammar School in Great Moor Street before leaving at the age of 14 and got a job with Bolton building firm Wm Townson & Son.

He stayed on at the firm his whole working life, retaining the role of managing director when it was taken over by Shell and later as a consultant until his retirement at the age of 60.

In 1958 he met Elizabeth, who joined the company as a shorthand typist, later declaring it as 'love at first sight'.

He offered to teach her to drive and as the lessons diminished, the romance blossomed, and they eventually married at St George's Road Congregation Church in 1962.

The couple moved into a Townson's house in Bradshaw to raise their four children Margaret, Peter, Andres and Judith.

A life-long passion for railways saw him build a model railway at home before his expertise was called on by the then chairman of Bolton's Leisure Services Department, Cllr Bill Robinson, to help construct passenger hauling small railway in the town.

Moss Bank Park Model Railway opened for rides in 1987 and welcomed more than 20,000 passengers every year.

Mrs Stones added: "All the people who got on the trains will not have known Albert's name but would have known him.

“It was his tenacity, he would go down and run the trains every weekend and when he retired did school visits, including working with special schools. He will be fondly remembered by a lot of people.

“He liked to be needed and was very faithful, loyal and friendly to anybody, whether they were the mayor or sweeping the roads, and was always himself irrespective of who he was talking too.

“He was everybody's friend.”

In 2002 Mr Stones was awarded the Gerald Taylor Vocational Service Award by the Rotary Club of Bolton for services to charity.

By his 70th birthday Mr Stones started suffering from symptoms of dementia and was diagnosed with the condition in 2009.

Following a long spell of illness he moved into the Rose Court Nursing Home in Radcliffe in 2014 and later the Four Seasons Care Home in Breightmet, where he died peacefully in his sleep on March 3.

His funeral will be held at St Andrew and St George United Reformed Church tomorrow, followed by a private committal.

Mr Stones is survived by his wife, four children, six grandchildren and great grandson.