Oxonhutch

Track leading to the barytes mine at White Coppice - site of my first ever geological field trip

To my friends and acquaintances I am known as Hutch and as my handle would suggest, I reside Oxfordshire, UK. I am a geologist by profession having worked in the minerals industry and more recently in oil and gas.

Life

Railways

Dolbadarn (1922) currently on the Llanberis Lake Railway

I have a deep interest in railways particularly steam and especially those which are light or narrow gauge – the Isle of Man Railway featured in my earliest railway recollections. Railway signalling has always fascinated me with childhood memories of semaphore signals, big white level crossing gates and that powerful smell of warm creosote – all punctuated by dirty, hard working Black Fives – for me the finest steam engines ever built.

Tramways

Tramway and metro systems also interest me, particularly Blackpool in the former case, and the London Underground system in the latter. I follow keenly the modern tramway revival in the UK. These forms of public transport also cover my fascination for all things and systems electrical, both industrial and domestic.

Electricity

A Lancastrian by upbringing, I became one of Albion’s diaspora and spent many years in South Africa and later the United States. Some of my electrical equipment is on its fourth plug and a wanderer’s necessity made me study the intricacies of national electrical systems.

WikiLife

Referencer

IOMR No. 12 at Douglas, 1969. A Geograph Project photograph

I am a referencer especially from my own collection – failing which the library is not that far away. Being a scientist, I like Harvard referencing as the citation method and will use it exclusively in articles I start and those to which I first add a reference. I believe the method looks professional, pleasing on the eye and most of all – informative to the reader. I know that others do not share this affection, especially those who contribute to historical articles where in-line foot notes appear to predominate.

What ever the style – I like to add ISBNs if they are available and undertake bibliographic searches to ascertain these if required. COPACis a wonderful resource in this regard as well as the Library of Congress catalog for those references from across the pond

Illustrator

An encyclopaedia is enriched by visual imagery. I will add my own contributions where possible failing which access public domain resources for picture material. Being from the UK, I support and use material from the Geograph Project which has complimentary goals to Wikipedia.

The Devil-The detail

I am a minor editor – and will attend to this and that. I call for citations if necessary (see referencer) and remove spam/inappropriate links – especially that of a commercial nature.