Behind the Backscene
Andy Hardy reveals how he wooed his wife-to-be from the footplate of ‘A1’ class ‘Pacific’ Tornado.
Andy Hardy is operations manager at Rapido Trains UK.
ALAMY
“I play a few different brass instruments (some better than others).
I also taught myself to juggle”
1 What is your earliest railway memory? I have quite a lot of early railway memories, but one that sticks with me is visiting the National Railway Museum with my parents. They took me to a huge number of museums and heritage railways which cemented my railway interest.
2 What is your most memorable train journey? There are too many to choose from in the UK, let alone abroad! However, crossing the Forth Bridge on the footplate of Tornado was a rather spectacular experience.
3 How did you get into the hobby industry? Right place, right time! I have done some freelance work for several manufacturers, in a research capacity, including helping Model Rail and Rapido Trains on the ‘16XX’ project. When Rapido advertised for staff for its new UK operation, I was in the right place to apply.