Teddy Boston

The Reverend Edwin Richard Boston MA (Cantab) (born Solihull, 20 August 1924, died 1 April 1986), known as Teddy Boston, was a Church of England clergyman and author. He built a narrow gauge railway in the grounds of his Rectory at Cadeby, Leicestershire, and was immortalized as the "Fat Clergyman" in The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry.

Boston was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and Jesus College, Cambridge, before training for the ministry at Lincoln Theological College.

From 1949, Boston served as curate of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. He became Rector of Cadeby and Vicar of Sutton Cheney, both in Leicestershire, in 1960, remaining in post until his death in 1986. At the 2001 census, Cadeby reported 177 inhabitants, Sutton Cheney 545.

In the words of Peter Scott, "The story of the Cadeby Light Railway is really the story of one man - 'Teddy' Boston".

In May 1962, Boston bought a Bagnall saddle tank locomotive number 2090, named 'Pixie', and set about building a light railway in the grounds of the Rectory at Cadeby. U-shaped, with a total length of 110 yards, the line opened on 7 April 1963 and carried its first passengers a month later.

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