SCRCA Project Contributor: Nigel J. Mussett

Nigel Mussett was a botanist and teacher by training and he subsequently also obtained a degree in history with the Open University and an MA in educational research at Lancaster University. He spent the whole of his teaching career as Head of Biology in two independent boarding schools. Nigel had a life-long interest in railways generally and he began actively researching the Settle & Carlisle Railway during the preparations for the centenary celebrations in 1976 (marking 100 years of passenger train operations along the route). He co-authored "Seven Years Hard: Building the Settle - Carlisle Railway" (Dalesman Books, 1976) with W.R. (Bill) Mitchell and and his frequently updated 'Settle-Carlisle Railway Resources Handbook' is a first port of call for anyone seeking information on virtually any topic relating to the Settle & Carlisle Railway. He was a founder member of the SCRCA Project team and, in partnership with Mark Harvey, Nigel compiled the Draft Structure List that identified the scale and defined the scope of the SCRCA Project. He was a long-standing FoSCL member and was the FoSCL Archivist until a move away from the area made this impractical.