On 7 Feb, 20:12, "Clive D. W. Feather"
wrote:
Some readers may recognise Stephen's name as author of the unofficial
Tramlink web site.

I regret to say that I have just been informed that he was killed today
in a road crash, being the driver of the Vauxhall mentioned in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6339357.stm.

I knew Steve since we were children his father knew mine and our
interest in railways caused us to become good friends. Steve's
knowledge of railways, computers and mathematics was incredible, not
to mention his interest in the Croydon Tramlink. We used to get a
Travelcard and travel all over the railways in London and he taught me
a lot of what I know today.

It's been sometime since I saw Steve but we kept in touch through
email and we spoke not to long ago. He was an incredible young man who
was a self-professed 'anorak'. For those of you who want to know more
about him then his website at http://www.sjp.me.uk/ is a testiment to
him.

For those who didn't know about his love for the Trams, you soon would
if you had met him! Nothing happened on Croydon Tramlink without Steve
being there to report it! From construction until just a couple of
weeks before he passed away he kept the website updated with news,
views and photos. It would be fitting if in some way or other Croydon
Tramlink could recognise their most dedicated follower and if anyone
from Tramlink is reading this or anyone who can help could you please
email me. It would be a terrible shame if they did not recognise
someone who followed their system with such enthusiasm and took such
an interest.

Stephen always called me Ant and I always called him Steve, I don't
think anyone else called him that and nobody else has called me Ant!

He was an asset to his family and to society and I for one will very
much miss his enthusiasm and knowledge for Trams and Railways.

Wherever you are I hope there are plenty of Trams to keep you busy
mate, you're being missed already!

Ant
(visit his website: http://www.sjp.me.uk/)

On Feb 7, 8:12 pm, "Clive D. W. Feather" c...@on-the-
train.demon.co.uk wrote:
Some readers may recognise Stephen's name as author of the unofficial
Tramlink web site.

I regret to say that I have just been informed that he was killed today
in a road crash, being the driver of the Vauxhall mentioned in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6339357.stm.

Thats spooky , I was only looking at that site for the first time in
about 6 months yesterday.

Very sad news. Condolenses to his family & friends.

B2003

Terribly sad news and my sincere condolences to his family and
friends.

His work on his website really was a magnus opus and provides a
lasting legacy (and I know this applies to many working on new
schemes) to those of us with both professional and personal interest
in trams.

On 8 Feb, 17:40, "Old Central" wrote:
Terribly sad news and my sincere condolences to his family and
friends.

His work on his website really was a magnus opus and provides a
lasting legacy (and I know this applies to many working on new
schemes) to those of us with both professional and personal interest
in trams.

For those of you who didnt realise his immense knowledge outside the
tram arena, if you go to http://tinyurl.com/37tcrq you will see some
of his posts to this group and uk.railway on all matters railway, from
signals to stock from tickets to ticket gates!!

And can I say that I know his father has read these posts and is
touched by your very kind words about Steve. I find it very moving
that people have so much good to say about him, whilst it amazes me
that someone who 15 years ago said to me let's get a Travelcard and go
spotting in London is no longer here I am truly amazed how much he
achieved. He taught me an awful lot of what I know about the Railway
today, and I will always be indebted to him for that!

On 7 Feb, 20:12, "Clive D. W. Feather"
wrote:
Some readers may recognise Stephen's name as author of the unofficial
Tramlink web site.

I regret to say that I have just been informed that he was killed today
in a road crash, being the driver of the Vauxhall mentioned in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6339357.stm.

This is truely horrible news. I would like to type a few words as this
forum is read by many who knew him, or knew of him. I had known
Stephen since we were both 5 years old and we pretty much grew up
together, having lived just a few doors apart. We attended the same
primary and secondary schools and had kept in touch, remaining good
friends ever since. We travelled together across the UK in our mid
teens and took a few interail trips to Europe. In 2005 we spent a week
on the east coast of the US. Each trip included a trip on a tram at
some point if remotely possible, it was obligatory!

Now a word about "SJP" and trams: Stephen's love of trams seemed to
develop after he bought a digital camera towards the end of 1998. He
started taking pictures of the Tramlink construction works in Croydon
which morphed into "Croydon Tramlink - The Unofficial Site". This
spawned a community of like-minded individuals, from fellow
enthusiasts to transport professionals. Pretty much everybody involved
in UK light rail projects knew Stephen from tram drivers to those at
the very top of the industry. I was always amazed by the amount of
information that reached him. Surely there can be nobody at Tramtrack
Croydon who has not heard of Stephen Parascandolo.

A little fact that most will not have known: Stephen and I took a trip
up to Sheffield in 1995 during which, at my insistance, we took a ride
on the new tram system. This was apparently Stephen's first trip on a
tram. After boarding the tram I asked Stephen what he thought. He
looked at me in his usual critical way and said "looks like a cross
between a train and a bus". I'll never forget those words and I would
never have guessed that he would become the great light rail
campaigner that he did.

There is much more that could be said about this remarkable and
telanted individual, including his dedication to his profession as a
Signalling Engineer and one of his main hobbies, model railway
electronics. At a young age Stephen had already become a talented
engineer a significant player in the rail industry.

Steve: I don't know if you can read the internet where you've gone
mate but I do hope that there are plenty of trams, signalling diagrams
and model railways to keep you occupied up there. Miss you buddy.

To his family, my deepest sympathies and condolences. You are in my
thoughts.



Mark Jansen (Proud to have been able to call myself a friend of S. J.
Parascandolo)

On 7 Feb, 20:12, "Clive D. W. Feather"
wrote:
Some readers may recognise Stephen's name as author of the unofficial
Tramlink web site.

I regret to say that I have just been informed that he was killed today
in a road crash, being the driver of the Vauxhall mentioned in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6339357.stm.

Having read the tributes to Stephen so far, of course our thoughts
must be with his brother Mark, who broke the news to the Croydon
Tramlink website, and the rest of his family.

Anyone who recognises my name will probably know that I am a member of
the LRTA and I encouraged him to join by funding the subscription for
the first couple of years, simply because I recognised in Stephen a
young talent with the enthusiasm for tramways well beyond just being
"a spotter". That was in his student days. He became a firm friend
and we didn't always agree but I was coming from invariably the fact
that I knew a little more about Croydon past, having been brought up
in Shirley, Croydon, since 1948. We visited the tramway museum at
Crich, so he could see what was there before and he made subsequent
visits there and took every opportunity within his time and finances
to visit other places with modern trams. Experience is a marvellous
lesson to be acquired. We were in constant contact, despite me liking
a couple of pints of beer and the accompanying cigarette - quite the
opposite of Stephen.

At my age, one becomes used to news of friends passing away but to
learn of the passing of Stephen on the same day as his death has
really shaken me. I know of no other of his age like him. His
contribution to our world has been remarkable and I have the greatest
pride to say that I knew him. Even people in my office in Croydon are
most distressed at the news.

There is certainly a movement alive to retain his Tramlink website in
the way that he would have wished. You may even find the Tramlink
operators in support of that - they were only restricted by what may
be termed "contractual obligations", albeit enthusiastically applied.
As an aside, and I am sure that Stephen would have approved, you can
visit on the Court Service website the recently published High Court
judgement in the matter of Tramtrack Croydon Limited v. Transport for
London (buses) regarding allocation of revenue. It was never just
Stephen wanting to open the minds of others. You should find the link
he http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/j...tsfiles/j4906/
tramtrack-croydon-ltd_v_london-bus-services-ltd.htm

I contribute for the first time here with tremendous sadness but with
the request that we must all keep the memory of Stephen alive. I am
sure that his family would appreciate that.

Graham Feakins

"Clive D. W. Feather" wrote in
:

Some readers may recognise Stephen's name as author of the unofficial
Tramlink web site.

I regret to say that I have just been informed that he was killed today
in a road crash, being the driver of the Vauxhall mentioned in
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/6339357.stm.




Very sad news, I've read Stephen's posts (and seen his photos) for many
years on UTL.

I wonder whether the there'll be any "official" notices of condolences on
the various TfL / FirstGroup pages. It would be nice if there were, but it
would be extremely cynical, after the way Stephen's site was treated - I'm
remembering when he had to remove all his news archives following legal
threats.

If I were in charge I'd name one of the trams Parasacandolo in memory. It's
a brilliant name for a tram too - imagine it on the top in nice bronze
lettering. Hope someone from there is reading this.....

another testament to steve was that he found a compromise and posted
guidelines about what could and could not be posted to protect his and
their interests.

Tristán White wrote:

If I were in charge I'd name one of the trams Parasacandolo in
memory. It's a brilliant name for a tram too - imagine it on the top
in nice bronze lettering. Hope someone from there is reading this.....

Named trains/trams are kind of crap. I would rather see one of the planned
stations on the Crystal Palace branch named Parascandolo.... er, perhaps
Stephen would be better.

"Tristán White" wrote...

I wonder whether the there'll be any "official" notices of condolences on
the various TfL / FirstGroup pages. It would be nice if there were, but it
would be extremely cynical, after the way Stephen's site was treated - I'm
remembering when he had to remove all his news archives following legal
threats.

Not exactly "official", but there is quite a nice piece in this week's
Croydon Advertiser which in part quotes Roger Harding as seeing him as a
past opponent even prior to his death, suggesting that he was misunderstood
by them, and speaks very well of him.