James was born in Nottingham on 22nd February 1987 to Helen and Roderick Cable (both Nurses) He has an older sister Gemma.

James always loved trains and most family holidays involved a train ride (Ffestiniog, North Yorks Moors, Dymchurch etc) He loved Thomas the Tank Engine and even learnt his colours and counting with his little trains. When he was 3 he had a Hornby railway for his birthday with a wind-up Percy Train and spent hours watching the train going round and round, pulling a truck which always had a Giraffe in it. Over the years he built several model railways.

James was a very kind, thoughtful and popular young man with lots of friends and a great sense of humour.

He was a member of Beavers, Scouts and Explorers and eventually became a Scout leader himself.

Following school he studied at Sheffield University, achieving a Degree in Chemical Engineering. After University he decided he wanted to become a school teacher and moved to Worcester to study for his Postgraduate teaching qualification, undertaking teaching practice in Kidderminster. He loved being a teacher and became Head of Science, teaching at Pedmore School in Stourbridge.

James met a fellow teacher Laura and they married on 16/08/2014. They had a son Thomas in 2016 and completed their family with a daughter Alice in 2019. He was a natural father and James loved Laura, Tom and Alice so much.

When James joined Kinver Society of Model Engineers he didn’t have much money, so started with a small electric locomotive with a simple homemade wooden cab which he loved to drive, pulling passengers on Sundays (which you may have been a passenger on)
In November 2020 he was very excited buying a new blue diesel (electric) locomotive but unfortunately the track was closed due to Covid and sadly he never had the chance to drive it.

Sadly James died in Mary Stevens Hospice from Cancer the following March, after being ill for less than a month. Before he died he was building a truck but sadly was unable to complete it. He asked his Dad, Roderick to finish the truck which now carries a large teddy bear ‘guard’ behind James’s blue locomotive. The locomotive now carries his nameplate and is driven for him by his Dad. James’s Mum can usually be found collecting tickets on the station on a Sunday.

This bench was dedicated to James on 31/05/2025 by his family and friends.

Please sit and rest a while, watching the trains and think of James.