Stratford engineers and draughtsmen
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See Locomotive Mag., 1906,
12, 16: Reunion Dinner of Locomotive Department, G.E.R. 16.
illus.
Held in the Abercorn Rooms within the Liverpool Street Station Hotel
on 8 December 1911. Photograph shows the 49 present with a key to identify
those present with James Holden: W.E. Dalby, A.J.
Hill, G. Elliot, W. Collingwood, George Winmill, J.H.B. Jemkins, E. Winmill,
J. Pollock, J. Wild, J. Cookson, J. Abbott, A.P.Turner, C.W.L. Glaze, A.W.
Polley, H. Rudland, J.C. Mannooch, C.A. Robinson, J. Wilson, A. Lansdell,
F. Duce, R.L. Soper, J.B. Corrie, T.W. Ford, E.F. Elliot, T.O. Mein, W.
Pickersgill, R.H. Haylock, M.A. Selaverani, W.F. Pettigrew, D. Gillies, F.W.
Dodd, C. Watchhurst, C. Adams, A.C. Kelly, L. Simpson, F.V. Russell, J.H.
Adams, J.H. Bowles, L. Meyrick-Jones, H.W.C. Drury, H. Haylock, A.G. Herbert,
Henry Parker, A.P. Parker, W.D. Craig, J.W. Howard, G. Macallan, G.B.
Lawrence.
Craig, W.D.
Born in Shrewsbury in 1842 and became a pupil at Gorton Foundry in
1859; continuing with Beyer Peacock as a draughtsman until 1866 when he obtained
a position at Stratford under S.W. Johnson. Chief locomotive draughtsman
from about 1881 until 1907 when he retired. Died in 1934.
Obituary Locomotive Mag., 1934,
40, 328..
Damant, Arthur Charles Claud
Very early member ILocoE: continued to attend dinners until
1940s
Darby, Alfred Thomas
Died on 31 January 1917, in his seventy-third year. Formerly foreman
of the locomotive erecting shop at Stratford. He served his apprenticeship
at Stratford, and afterwards worked for a time at Reading, and under Martin
Atock at the Waterford and Limerick Railway shops at Limerick. He re-entered
the G.E. service in 1875, and was for some years in charge of the locomotive
weigh-bridge. In 1888 he was appointed assistant foreman of the Round Shed
repair shop, and in 1896 became head foreman of the erecting shop, a position
he held until the close of 1905,when he retired.See
Locomotive Mag., 1917,
23, 62.
Drury, H.W.C.
Moved from Doncaster District to Cambridge
(move noted in Locomotive Mag.,
1913, 19, 2)
Duce, E.
To take over Doncaster, including responsibility for York and Lincoln
(move noted in Locomotive Mag.,
1913, 19, 2) .
Elwell, C.H.M.
Apprenticed under James Holden at Stratford Works; following which
he became a locomtive running inspector. During WW1 he was involved in munitions
manufacture at Stratford. He became Locomotive Running Superintendent of
the LNER Southernv Area and in 1938 Locomotive Running Superintendent of
the Eastern Section,
English, A.E.
Senior Tecnical Assistant to the Mechanical Engineer, Stratford, LNER.
"fount of knowledge, experience and ingenuity... and greatly respected by
Sir Nigel Gresley". Hardy Steam in
the blood.. Hardy (Steam
Wld, 1992 (59) 6) notes that English was the true architect of the
D16 and B12 rebuilds
Farmer, John
Stratford apprentice who gained an LNER Scholarship to Queen Mary
College and enjoyed work in the Doncaster Works during vacations.
See Rly Wld, 1982, 43,
593*and Rly Mag., 1988,
129, 306-8.
Gillies, M.
Works Manager, Stratford: in-charge of locomotive stock following
resignation of Massey Bromley.
Glaze, C.W.L.
On the appointment of A. J. Hill as locomotive superintendent in 1912
(Locomotive Mag., 1912,
18, 249) Glaze became manager of the Stratford Works He had been
London district locomotive superintendent for several years. He was still
Works Manager at Stratford under Gresley until 1930.
Hilton, H.F.
Hilton was an acknowledged authority on the old G.E.R., having been
at one time District Locomotive Superintendent at Cambridge,
(move noted in Locomotive Mag.,
1913, 19, 2) at Stratford, and Assistant to the Superintendent
of Operation, and when he retired Assistant to the Running Superintendent,
LNER. Author of the Eastern Union
Railway. See Loco. Rly
Carr. Wagon Rev., 1947, 53, 46.
Macallan, George
Born at Eddleston near Peebles on 15 December 1837. Educated at the
Scottish Central Schools in London. Introduced to J.V. Gooch via Lord Berriedale
and started at Stratford in 1854. For a time inspected wagon axles produced
for company by firm in Staffordshire. In 1864 in conjuction with W.H. Maw
and Zerah Colburn he assisted with trials of No, 284 fitted with Richard's
steam indicator. Between 1866 and 1875 he was District Locomotive Superintendent
at Cambridge and after a period as chief erecting shop foreman he became
Works Manager Stratford. He died at Widdington on 28 May 1913.
(Ellis Twenty locomotive
men: see anecdote concerning
Worsdell). Inventor of eponymous blastpipe
used on Great Eastern locomotives. See
Ahrons' British steam railway
locomotive p. 310. Harvey's
Bill Harvey's 60 years in steam spells the surname "McCallan"
on page 116 but gives an excellent description of the blast softener or cap.
Obituary Loco. Rly Mag.,
1913, 19, 129. Highly biographical letter in
Loco.
Mag., 1905, 11, 90
with specific reference to Enfield light locomotive..
Patent
10460/1905. An improved spark arrester for locomotive and other
high pressure engines. Applied: 18 May 1905. Published 1 February 1906
An earlier device, presumably patented was the variable blast-pipe which
Tupln describes on p. 47 of his
Steam locomotive:
The MacAllan blast-pipe cap was mounted on a rod that extended across the smoke-box close to the top of the blast-pipe, but clear of the steam that came from it. When it was judged advantageous to use a smaller blast orifice, the rod was rotated (by a crank linked to a lever in the cab) to turn the cap through a right angle and to place it firmly on the fixed blast nozzle. The device was an official mechanised version of the engine-man's unofficial restrictor. It had to be clearly understood that movement of the cap whilst steam was coming from the blast pipe was highly dangerous because during transition the cap might direct steam into the tubes and then flames would be forced into the cab even past the edges of a closed' fire-door.
McDermid, William Francis
Born 10 July 1872. Spent his whole career in Stratford Works of GER:
became a draughtsman in the Works Plant & Machinery Office in July 1898,
and took charge of Office in 1911. He was appointed Chief Draughtsman at
Stratford in 1926. Retired in 1933. Wrote papers for Instn Loco. Engrs on
the blast pipe: Papers No. 291 and
300 and
Paper 337 on brakes for streamlined (high
speed) vehicles. Died on 2 April 1956. Obituary: J. Instn Loco.
Engrs., 1955, 45, 701...
Mein, Thomas Oliver
Assistant Manager Locomotive Works. Hon. Secretary GER Ambulance Corps.
Locomotive Mag., 1908,
14, 9. Must have been Works Manager in 1930 when succeeded by
S.L.Baister (Locomotive Mag.,
1930, 36, 308).
Perry, George
Died at Hereford on 17 August 1936 his 82nd year. He was born at Stratford
and joined the Great Eastern Railway at Liverpool Street in 1870. The following
year he started in the- shops at Stratford under S. W. J ohnson, locomotive
supt., and remained there until his retirement as a foreman in the erecting
fitting shop in 1918. His father was one of the original employees of the
old Eastern Counties Railway when the locomotive shops were at Romford prior
to their removal to Stratford. Although not so well known by the present
generation he was always popular with those he came in contact with and many
of the pupils and apprentices under his charge who left the company to take
up, positions at home or abroad will have pleasant memories. His interest
in and knowledge of early locomotive history was very comprehensive and his
wonderful memory was of great assistance when compiling the articles describing
the early locomotives of the Great Eastern Railway which appeared in the
Locomotive Mag.. In his earlier days he devoted a. lot of time to music having
a fine tenor voice and often appeared at concerts given at the G.E.R. Institute
and at various functions throughout the Eastern Counties.See
Locomotive Mag., 1936,
42, 300
Tiddeman, Edmund Spencer
Obituary died 14 October 1937
(Loco. Carr. Wagon
Rev., 1937, 43,
367): formerly chief draughtsman of the locomotive department. Pupil
of T.W. Worsdell from 1882. Transferred to Drawing Office in 1890 and succeeded
W.D. Craig as Chief Draughtsman in 1907. Retired in 1926
(Locomotive Mag., 1926, 32,
271). Inventor of water level indicator, spark arrester and a train
control system.
Wild, James Vaux
See Locomotive Mag.,
1907, 13, 59: for retirement presentation after 32 years as foreman
of the machine shop.