Swindon & Wolverhampton personalities
Steamindex home page

General note: this page is very short on key data: births, deaths, full names. KPJ hazards that these would be available in the Great Western Magazine: help would be greatly appreciated in the Steppes of Eastern  Britain

Anderson, G.
Chief draughtsman at Swindon in the 1850s. T. Houghton Wright: In the Days of Gooch. Rly Mag., 1898, 3, 345-52.

Armstrong, R.J.
Divisional superintendent, Bristol to be divisional superintendent, Worcester. See Locomotive Mag., 1929, 35, 370. Brian Penney  (GWRJ, 2015, (96) 477) calls him "R.G" Armstrong and states was grandson of Josesph Armstrong.

Baines, W.E.
Appointed Assistant Divisional Locomotive Superintendent Newport (Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 5)

Barker, O.
Divisional superintendent of the Central Wales division since absorption of the Cambrian Railways: appointed divisional superintendent at Newton Abbot in 1924. Locomotive Mag., 1924, 30, 53.

Barton, John Henry Theyer
Born in Coln Rogers, Gloucestershire in 1886. Educated at Cirencester Grammar School. Apprenticed at Swindon. Joined Buenos Aires Pacific Railway in 1908. In 1930 became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Entre Rios and North Argentine Railway. From 1947 until his retirement in 1949 he was General Manager of that railway. Died 18 Decemeber 1957..Obituary J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1958, 48, 152..

Barwell, Frederic Thomas
Drawing office, GWR (ILocoE listing!)

Bodman, W.H.
Appointed Assistant Divisional Locomotive Superintendent Cardiff (having moved from similar position at Neath) in 1936 (Locomotive Mag., 1936, 42, 24) Divisional Locomotive Superintendent, Cardiff (GWR) in succession to C.T. Hurry Riches. See Locomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 95

Burrows, George Henry
Born 16 January 1870; died unexpectedly on 27 July 1923. Apprenticed at Swindon Works from age of 13. Became Chief Draughtsman in December 1905. IMechE obituary (1924). Prepared the drawings of the tapered Belpaire boilers for Churchward based on John Player's Brooks Locomotive Works design. See Rutherford Backtrack, 2008,22, 748.. See also Swindon superheater: Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1910, 16, 240-1. Portrait in Railway reflections series: Backtrack, 1998,  12, 50.. Died in 1923 Rutherford Great Western 4-6-0s. Was Maurice Burrows his son? Possibly in group photograph with Hawksworth at Swindon  Backtrack, 2013, 27, 278.
27181/1908 Improvements in flue type superheaters, with George Jackson Churchward and Clifford Charles Champeney. Applied 15 December 1908. Published 15 December 1909.
4209/1908 Improvements in steam boiler superheaters. Applied 25 February 1908 (Priority 4 April 1907) Published 4 February 1909.

Carlton, Samuel
Born Liverpool on 15 December 1829. Died 24 March 1896. Had been Locomotive Works Manager for 30 years: retired in 1895. Had been apprenticed at Edge Hill and Crewe Works. Then worked for Pearson & Co., Marine Engineers and at the Vulcan Foundry. In 1855 he joined GWR under Joseph Armstrong at Wolverhampton and went with him to Swindon. Nock, Peck and online..

Champeney, Clifford Charles
Born 1884 in Somerset? Died 1971. For a time worked at Swindon [appointed works manager & superintendent carriage & wagon department (Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 5)] and then moved to Midland Carriage & Wagon. Responsible for many patents. See Swindon superheater: Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1910, 16, 240-1.
27181/1908 Improvements in flue type superheaters, with George Jackson Churchward and George Henry Burrows. Applied 15 December 1908. Published 15 December 1909.
4209/1908 Improvements in steam boiler superheaters. Applied 25 February 1908 (Priority 4 April 1907) Published 4 February 1909.
120,995 Improvements in the manufacture of weldless three link coupling chains for railway and similar vehicles. with Frank William Marillier. Applied 12 December 1917. Published 5 December 1918.

Christison, A.W.H.
Divisional Locomotive Superintendent at Newton Abbot from 1927. Grandson of Alexander William Crow Christison of the North Eastern Railway. Photographic albums formerly owned by him held at Great Western Trust at Didcot. Letter: Amyas Crump Backtrack, 2008, 22, 125. Neil Mackay states that was grandson of A.W.C. Christison of North Eastern Railway.

Clothier, Alan Cary
Born 10 January 1928. Educated Sexey's School Bruton. Draughtsman at Swindon responsible for design of double chimneys fitted to King and some Castle class in final period of steam: see Durrant p. 129. Shed master Cardiff East Dock 1955; Technical Assistant to Superintendent MPD Newton Abbot 1957; Works Study Officer MPD South Wales 1958; Divisional Maitenance Engineer Newcastle 1965-78. Cornwell Whos who. Frequent contributor to Great Western Railway Journal. Active on 82045 preservation at Bridgnorth.

Colclough, J.
Premium apprentice at Oswestry Works (illustrated paage 112 of Green's Cambrian Railways) and according to Green achieved a position of responsibility at Swindon. Presumably son of E. Colclough, Works Manager at Oswestry.

Cross, J.W.
Possibly in group photograph with Hawksworth at Swindon  Backtrack, 2013, 27, 278.

Crump, Charles
In 1922 the London Divisional Superintendent was promoted to be Locomotive Running Superintendent and Outdoor Assistant to the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Swindon. Locomotive Mag., 1922, 28, 326. K.J. Cook: Charles Crump was the GWR Running Superintendent and Outdoor Assistant to the CME ( [Collett], a charming man but rather inclined to be permanently somewhat pessimistic and he was very worried. He came across to see Hannington to discuss his troubles and then they both came into my office to unload them on to me. After a good deal of discussion, I said I thought there were two alternatives. If Crump could get the CME to withdraw the cuts we had to make, well and good, but I did not think that there was any likelihood of this. The other alternative would be a slow and laborious job but I thought it would ultimately attain its end. Holcroft's Locomotive adventure includes two photographs in which C. Crump (junior, the one who went to Swindon is present) and senior are present. There is also an E.S. Crump who went off to the Punjab as a railway engineer..

Deverell, O.E.F.
Asssistant to Chief Draughtsman under Churchward: appointed Chief in 1923 (Locomotive Mag., 1923, 29, 336). According to Peck he died on 4 April 1925 aged 50. He was succeeded by Hawksworth. Deverell was closely involved in the design of The Great Bear. Rutherford noted that when Deverell was Chairing a meeting of the Junior Engineering Institute for a paper given by W.H. Pearce he stated that "As Great Western men we are proud of our four-cylinder engines". Portrait in Railway reflections series: Backtrack, 1998,  12, 50. Possibly in group photograph with Hawksworth at Swindon  Backtrack, 2013, 27, 278.  

Dumas, C.K.
Mentioned by Nock in GWR steam: one of two senior draughtsman responsible for operating Swindon dynamometer car: worked with E. Pearse. But despite the very serious attitude adopted towards their work, Dumas in particular was a great character. There is a cartoon of him in the Swindon archives showing him packing his bag: 'Ready for the "double-home"', as the title went, and into a tattered old Gladstone bag was going nothing but a nightshirt and the maximum number of bottles of beer that could be got into that bag. To be out with him on a 'double-home' was always something of an adventure. He was a widely read and well travelled man, and whatever the hour his young protéges had to be taken round and shown the sights at their staging point, even if it meant, as on one wartime task, shinning up a monument in order to read the inscription by lighted matches in the blackout.

Ell, Samuel Owers
Developments in locomotive testing. J. lnstn Loco. Engrs, 1953, 43, 561-91. Disc.: 591-633; 729-34.. (Paper No. 527)
Some design problems of diesel locomotives. J. lnstn Loco. Engrs, 1966, 56, 543-92. (Paper No. 685)..
Based on tests with King class 6001.
Locomotive testing in the fields of design and economic operation. Proc, Br. Rlys. (West. Reg.) Lond. Lect. & Debating Soc., 1952/53, Paper No.4. 16 p. 4 illus., 5 diagrs.
Locomotive axle side play. Loconotive Mag., 1935, 41, 220-1
Technical aspects of railway transport—locomotives lecture: presented at Institute of Transport meeting in Gloucester on 1 February 1955. .Locomotive Mag., 1955, 61, 25
Patent: GB 379,989 Improvements in steam distribution devices for locomotives and other steam engines. Applied 27 February 1932. Published 8 September 1932. via Langridge
Development of coned boiler barrels. Locomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 265.
Biography (mainly Westwood)
Although the last years of the GWR did not produce any outstanding locomotive designs, behind the scenes there was a good deal of research and debate. Samuel [Sam] Ell, in particular, made real advances in locomotive testing, with constant steaming at high rates of evaporation. Much of this work involved front-end design, and Ell in the early 1950s showed that without recourse to double chimneys it was possible to increase maximum power output by a precise adjustment of the blastpipe proportions. He found that the maximum steaming limit of a Manor 4-6-0 could be doubled, and that of an LNER V2 2-6-2 more than doubled, in this way. His successful coordination of stationary plant testing with line testing (Controlled Road Testing) solved problems which later would exercise the minds of British Railways engineers. That Ell's previous solution to these problems was unknown to them was subsequently blamed on Great Western secretiveness. see also Durrant Swindon apprentice. Rutherford noted that Ell was responsible for general arrangement drawings for King class Backtrack, 1996, 10, 215.

Evans, E.T.J.
Assistant Divisional Locomotive Superintendent Wolverhampton appointed Assistant Carriage & Wagon Superintendent, Swindon. Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 5.

Evetts, Philip S.
Swindon premium apprentice from 1931: left Swindon in 1936. Contributor to enthusiast literature through letters. Latterly lived in Truro. See pen portrait (knowledgeable force to be reckoned with: nickname Earl of Hurst) in R.H.N. Hardy. Attention to detail. Part 4. Steam Wld., 1995, (96) 27 . Letter in Backtrack about Bulleid Leader and LMS standard compounds.

Flewellen, Geoge Henry
Born at Wiveliscombe in August 1861, he joined the G.W.R. at Bristol in June, 1878. Starting as a cleaner and fireman at Bristol and Birmingham, he went to Taunton as a driver and was afterwards transferred to Plymouth. In June, 1901, he was appointed District Inspector for the Newton Abbot Division, and in February, 1908, he went to the head office at Swindon. He was present on the footplate on the City of Truro's hazardous race through Devon on 9 May 1904 when 77 mile/h was achieved before Totnes coming  down from Rattery and around a 100 was achieved on the descent from Whiteball. He accompanied No. 5000 Launceston Castle during its test running on the LMS and on page 213 Nock of Fifty years of Western express running quotes C.J. Allen's description of Flewellen boarding the Castle on a wet morning at Euston: "stalking up the platform and mounting the high footplate of the Castle complete with bowler hat and umbrella just as he was entering the office.". In an interview on his retirement (reported in Singapore Free Press on 26 August 1926 and Locomotive Mag, 1926, 32, 271) he stated that he had accompanied King George V on the footplate when he drove the locomotive at Swindon being told what to do by Head Locomotive Inspector Flewellen (Locomotive Mag., 1924, 30, 135) He claimed to have travelled on the footplate on four consecutive days from Swindon to Paddington, then down to Plymouth, back to Paddington and home to Swindon covering 472 miles each day. He owned a small car which he liked to drive. See also Backtrack, 2014, 28, 522. Nock mentions him in Out the line.

Fraser, John
Followed Samuel Carlton as Works Manager Peck.

Gibbs, Ken  
Fourth generation of his family to work for GWR. Great grandfather joined in 1849, grandfather in 1875 and father in 1909.and himself in 1944. Apprenticed to fitting, turning and steam locomotive erecting, he followed his grandfather in the trade, and his father as a boiler maker, from apprenticeship, into and out of the RAF, back onto the shop floor in 1953. In 1955 he moved into a staff post and was seconded to a firm of industrial consultants working in Swindon Works and later the GWR system on production studies on plant maintenance. This entailed working and supervising two teams in a number of the Steam Maintenance area Workshops and Sub Depots (many inherited from absorbed railway companies). He then became Area Assistant for the Southwest on departure from the consultants, which involved re-layout and selection of plant for the non-ferrous foundry at Swindon Works. He retired early, joining the Great Western Society at Didcot and the Fireif/y Project and Trust, where he became involved with the broad-gauge replica's twenty-three-year construction-from-scratch project, making, with the exception of the wheels and splasher beading, every pattern for every casting used, from the small maker's plate to the cylinders. He was also involved with patterns, fitting and machining for components for the King, Hall/Saint conversion and the steam rail motor, and with patterns and components for several other railway groups, as well as those for Didcot Great Western Society.
Books:
Reminiscences as office boy and apprentice at Swindon Works, 1944-1951: the sights, sounds, smells, personalities and jobs remembered with nostalgia and affection from steam days. Poole: Oxford Publishing, 1986. 190pp + plates.
Cover title: Swindon Works: apprentice in steam. Had a full training as a fitter.
The steam locomotive: an engineering history.Stroud: Amberley, 2012. 256pp.
Reviewed by KPJ: J. Rly Canal Hist. Soc., 2013 (217) 60.
The steam rail motors of the Great Western Railway. History Press, 191pp,
The steam workshops of the Great Western Railway. History Press, 207pp,
Reviewed generously by Phil Atkins (Backtrack, 2015, 29, 318)

Giles, B.
Retired in 1924 from the position of locomotive, carriage and wagon superintendent at Wolverhampton after fifty-one years' service on the G.W.R. Locomotive Mag., 1924, 30, 53.

Green, C.W.
In 1922 appointed to be Mechanical Engineer, Newport Docks. Locomotive Mag., 1922, 28, 326.

Greenaway, William
Died at Swindon on 20 February 1908: chief locomotive inspector, who was probably one of the best-known figures on the footplate, especially when Royalty travelled. He was in charge of Queen Victoris's train during the Diamond Jubilee, and of every Royal train on the G.W.R. afterwards. He received many tokens of favour in that regard, including an audience at Buckingham Palace in 1902, when he received the Royal Victorian Order. Among other records, he rode with the first London-Bristol non-stop train after the. purchase of the Swindon refreshment-room lease, and had charge of the Royal non-stop train to Plymouth in July, 1903. Death recorded Locomotive Mag., 1908, 14, 42

Hale, Benjamin J.
Foreman travelled with Lord of the Isles to Columbian Exhibition in Chicago and was away from January 1893 until 11 January 1895. In 1912 he was made chief foreman of the machine shop. He retired in 1932. Peck.

Hall, F.C.
Apprentice at Swindon from 1900; in 1919 became assistant divisional locomotive superintendent at Old Oak Common. In 1922 when Assistant Divisional Superintendent, London, became Divisional Superintendent, Neath (Locomotive Mag., 1926, 28, 326), Then assistant running superintendent and outdoor assistant to CME Swindon to district locomotive superintendent at Bristol in 1930 (Locomotive Mag., 1929, 35, 370) and locomotive running superintendent at Swindon in 1931. (Locomotive Mag., 1941, 47, 163). Involved with Clayton (SR), Bulleid (LNER) and Hornbuckle (LMS) in 1934 design for proposed Sentinel-type one-man operated coal-fired shunting locomotive. Rutherford, Backtrack, 2002, 16, 515: skeletal diagram p. 516...

Harland, Wally
Chief assistant locomotive draughtsman in late GWR period: see Durrant Swindon apprentice. Cox British Railways standard steam locomotives notes chaired committee on general fittings.

Hannington, R.A.G.
On August 14th, 1922, almost exactly ten years after commencing an apprenticeship at Swindon, K.J. Cook' moved from the Drawing Office to the Locomotive Works to report to R.A.G. Hannington the Works Manager who himself had only been in that office less than a month.

He joined Swindon Works as a pupil on 12 October 1903. after which he spent a period as Inspector—Junior Assistant to W.A. Stanier who was then Locomotive Superintendent of the Swindon Division, prior to War Service in the Railway Operating Department.

Cook had not met him until reporting to him and his assistant R.H. Grey on his appointment from the Drawing Office. Hannington was a charming man, quiet and friendly, and extremely easy to work with. Cook was pleased to be associated with him for fifteen years until he met an untimely death diving into a swimming pool while visiting his daughter at school one Saturday afternoon. His death was a mystery to me until sometime later Mrs Hannington told me all about it. He was such an expert swimmer and diver that one would not be surprised at his diving into two feet of water if he knew it was that depth. On that occasion he dived in with both hands at his side and although the water was five feet deep, he hit the bottom with such force that he was killed instantly. I had heard that when on Divisional duties it was not unknown for him to bathe in a high level locomotive water supply tank. He also took his morning cold bath in a pond in his garden, if necessary breaking the ice to make a way in.

Early in 1919, on his way home on leave from France, he travelled down with Churchward who told him that he wanted him to go to Worcester as Divisional Loco, Carriage and Wagon Supt, and asked him how soon he could be demobilised. Hannington said he would go up to the War Office the next day, which he did, going to various offices and departments and seeing various Staff Officers but they all rejected his advances. Typical of him, he thought it seemed hopeless but would make one more try, knocked at a door and peered round. Within, there was a corporal sitting at a table who immediately sprang to attention and asked what he could do for him. When told that he wanted to be demobilised, the corporal replied "Yes Sir, certainly" and in ten minutes he was out!

Hannington was in the Worcester Division until 1922 when for a short period he came to Swindon as Manager of the Carriage and Wagon Works and then, when Stanier moved from Locomotive Works Manager to become Assistant Chief Mechanical Engineer, Hannington moved to take charge of the Locomotive Works. He had therefore only been in the Works in that position a few days before Cook was appointed to assist him.

The work of the 'Assistant to' Works Manager appeared in the past to have been principally connected with maintenance of plant, layout of shops and preparation of schemes as required. But there was now in view the introduction of a scheme for better control and progressing of locomotive repairs and the routing of components through their processes back to the locomotives for erection.

Herbert, T.R.
In 1922 appointed to be Mechanical Engineer, Port Talbot Docks. Locomotive Mag., 1922, 28, 326.

Hinton, Christoper
Born on 12 May 1901 at Tisbury, Wiltshire, died (following a fall) at King's College Hospital, London, on 22 June 1983. He was the third of the four children of Frederick Henry Hinton, the village schoolmaster, and his wife, Kate, formerly a children's nurse. Hinton attended his father's next, larger, school in Chippenham before entering Chippenham secondary (later grammar) school; he performed precociously at elementary school, but not at secondary school until his last year.
In 1917 Hinton became a premium engineering apprentice with, first, a small firm and then the Great Western Railway at Swindon. His foreman's tribute—‘you're the best craft apprentice I've ever had’—gave him as much pleasure as his later first-class degree. After evening study at Swindon Technical College—on top of a working week of fifty-four hours (later forty-seven hours)—he won in 1923 an Institution of Mechanical Engineers scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge, gained a first-class degree in the mechanical sciences tripos (1925) in two years, and spent his third year in research, winning university and college awards. Trinity made him an honorary fellow in 1957.
With this perfect blend of practical and theoretical training Hinton joined Brunner, Mond, soon to become the alkali group of the new Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), and at the age of twenty-nine became chief engineer. In 1940 Hinton became director of ordnance factory construction at the Ministry of Supply, and in 1941 of the explosive filling factories, where he replaced chaos, and fear of an ammunition shortage scandal, with great efficiency; in 1942 he became their deputy director-general. Exhaustion, aggravated by sleeping in ministry air-raid shelters, led him to the verge of breakdown.
When the war ended Hinton returned briefly to ICI, but thereafter worked exclusively in the public sector. The government had decided to establish a native atomic project, and ICI, refusing to be a main contractor for the factories, urged that they should be a government undertaking under Hinton. He accepted, and arrived with six of his former colleagues, at his Risley headquarters near Warrington, in February 1946.
From this nucleus grew the industrial group of the British atomic project, collaborating with Harwell's research establishment and the establishment for weapons research (later at Aldermaston). The government regarded production of fissile material as supremely urgent for atomic bombs and industrial power. This meant four very different types of plant: nuclear reactors—two experimental reactors at Harwell and two plutonium producers at Windscale in Cumberland; a plant near Preston to produce fuel rods from uranium ore; a chemical plant to separate plutonium, and associated plants at Windscale; and a gaseous diffusion plant at Capenhurst, Cheshire, to enrich uranium. United States law permitted no transfer of information to Britain. Hinton relied on teamwork, but played a crucial part in all phases and parts of the enterprise. All plants were built to programmed times and cost and fulfilled their task, although in 1957 the two Windscale reactors were closed after a fire.
After the first British bomb test in 1952, it was decided to meet increased demands for plutonium from reactors that would also produce power. In 1956 Calder Hall's nuclear reactors were the first in the world to feed power into a national grid. Hinton's organization built them faultlessly to time and cost and they had an excellent operating record. Even before Calder ‘went critical’, Britain had announced a modest civil nuclear power programme based upon its reactors, but with an open mind about future types to be built by consortia of private firms. Hinton's staff were also designing and building an experimental fast breeder reactor at Dounreay in Scotland.
In 1954 atomic energy had been transferred from the Ministry of Supply to the quasi-independent Atomic Energy Authority with Hinton as member for engineering and production. In 1956, during his absence (on a triumphant visit to Japan, which ordered a British reactor), a new, greatly enlarged, nuclear power programme was produced, but Hinton feared the effects of this general nuclear euphoria.
In 1956 the government appointed Hinton chairman of the new Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), established to supply electricity in bulk to the retailing area boards. He regretted that as chairman (rather than board member for engineering) he could not build the strong engineering design and construction department necessary to ensure prompt commissioning and high plant availability. Transmission engineering was, however, excellent, and Hinton developed both CEGB's research and its concern for the environment. He questioned the size of the enlarged nuclear power programme and insisted on basing atomic, like other, judgements on engineering and economic criteria, rather than prestige.
Knighted in 1951, appointed KBE in 1957, he retired with a life peerage as Baron Hinton of Bankside in 1965. He called himself the ‘odd job man’—chairing the world energy conference, advising the World Bank, serving vigorously as president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Council of Engineering Institutions, and the new Fellowship of Engineering. He was active in the House of Lords and as the first chancellor of Bath University. An excellent lecturer, he also wrote five short lucid books. From Margaret Gowing's ODNB entry.
A review by DMA of Rosa Matheson's Swindon Works in Bactrack, 2017, 31, 62 cotained the following:
One product of Swindon Works that Matheson does not mention is Christopher Hinton, but he stands example of those who started their careers as an apprentice; who loved, loathed their time but were still proud of their beginnings on the Great Western Railway. Hinton ended his career a powerful man, a Lord, rewarded for serving first industry and then his country in peace and war. The son of a Chippenham schoolmaster he became an apprentice in 1917, moving to the Drawing Office four and a half years later. In his Presidential Address to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1966 he stated "I wonder how many of you who call that the hard way of becoming an engineer realize how hard it was in those days: when I started work the engineering industry was still conditioned to a 54 hour week; the hours were from 6.00am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday and till noon on Saturday; there were no apprentice schools (I spent the first year of my apprenticeship on simple repetitive lathe work); until many months after the 1914-18 war there was no day-release for theoretical training and then only for a small number of selected apprentices; I was going to evening classes on four evenings a week ... But I don't pretend that I regret it: even that first year of nut scragging and stay-bolt and piston-rod turning was useful because it taught me the awful oppression of repetitive work ... In the later years of my apprenticeship I was far luckier than the majority of apprentices who spent more years than I did on repetition work; I moved first to the millwright's shop and then to the tool room, where I worked on jobs that were always different, and from there I went to the engine-erecting shops ... there is no better way of learning what makes for perfection in detailed design than to repair plant or machinery that has been in service ... Whatever its defects, I would not have missed my Swindon training on any account. I doubt whether heavy mechanical engineering design and craftsmanship has ever reached a higher level of perfection than it did on the Great Western Railway under Churchward as Chief Mechanical Engineer and Stanier as Works Manager. Churchward's engines were a joy to the eye, graceful and dignified without artificial adornment, and (within the limitations of the time) perfect in their detailed design."
In 1923 Hinton won a grant from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers to take a degree at Cambridge. He never returned to the Great Western. "I did research on the vibration of railway bridges under Inglis in my last year at Cambridge but at the end of that time I did not go back to the railways ... Inglis had told the Great Western Railway that I was finishing and suggested they should take me back, saying that I was a good engineer. Their answer was that 'Hinton would have been a good engineer if he had stayed with us, but now that he has had three years at Cambridge we wouldn't dream of taking him back'." Within a few years of that rejection Hinton was a Chief Engineer at ICI. During the war he was Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Supply, in charge of the Royal Filling Factories. In the 1946 Hinton became responsible for the design, construction and operation of the plants needed to produce fissile material for the British atomic bomb. He ended his career as chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board and was created Baron Hinton in 1965.

Hogarth, William
Richens (Rly Mag. 1967, 113, 496) noted his skill as wheelsmith in broad gauge days.

Ireland, Ernest Grorge
Associated with Great Western Railway throughout the whole of his professional career. After serving his apprenticeship in the works at Swindon he gained further technical training and practical experience in the laboratories and drawing offices until 1899, when he was made assistant superintendent in the locomotive, carriage, and wagon department at Swindon. From 1903 to 1906 he occupied a similar position at Wolverhampton. He was then promoted to be superintendent of the same department at Worcester, where he was responsible for the running and maintenance of all vehicles. Seven years later he became superintendent of the Swindon division, and during his tenure of this appointment he had the additional responsibility for the transport of troops and their equipment between Salisbury Plain and the South Midlands during the war of 1914-18. His final position was that of superintendent of the Newport (Monmouthshire) Division, where he was in charge of locomotive, carriage, and wagon running and maintenance. He continued to hold this appointment until his retirement at the close of 1932. Mr. Ireland was elected a Member of’the Institution in 1920. His death occurred on 30 March 1943. IMechE obituary,

Jones, Robert
Former Superintendent of Chester District: see Ahrons, Locomotive Mag., 1914, 20, 13.

King, H.C.
Chief Draughtsman at Swindon at time of Churchward taking over (Nock). By 1913 had become Works Manager and in that year promoted to assistant to locomotive superintendent (Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2) . Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272..

Kislingbury, J.W.A.
Joinrd GWR in 1894 as an apprentice in Loocomotive Department at Bristol. After three years trained as a draughtsman at Swindon; then became an Inspector of Materials. Then moved to be an Assistant Divisional Locomotive Superintendent at Swindon. Divisional Superintendent, Neatb, to be Divisional Superintendent, London. Locomotive Mag., 1922, 28, 326. Superintendent Old Oak Common moved to be in charge Wolverhampton Division: Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2. Retirement see Locomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 240 which includes previous posts and date of joining GWR.

Low, Roland
Draughtsman in Swindon drawing office where he was encountered by A.E. Durrant.

Lugg, Peter
Started work as an engine cleaner at Old Oak Common, but moved to become a locomotive apprentice at Swindon, where he encountered Hawksworth (but really only a master/servant basis): see Clements Great Western exposed p. 162. On 13 March 2000 he gave a talk "Aspects of the Great Western" to the Friends of the NRM (NRM website) which notes that later he moved to the civil engineering side and made his way through the system to finish in the British Railway Board HQ as head of welding. Lugg was critical of the County class for it being difficult to fire as the fire hole was jhigher than on most GWR enngines, and the Hawksworth tenders made double-shovelling difficult. He like the 94XX class as the superheated variety were competent on semi-fast passenger work

Marillier, Frank W.
Died June? 1928 aged 72. CBE. (Locomotive Mag., 1928, 34, 236). Pupil of Pearson, locomotive superintendent Bristol & Exeter Railway. In 1876 went to Swindon as a draughtsman; in 1898 manager of GWR wagon works at Saltney; and in 1914 appointed Carriage & Wagon Superintendent at Swindon Retired 30 November 1920 (Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 5) Began his career on the Bristol & Exeter Railway. Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272.

Marlow
Ahrons (Locomotive Mag., 1914, 20, 131-2) states that Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway opened Stafford Road Works with Marlow as its locomotive superintendent

Mattingley, F[rank] C.
Chief Draughtsman at Swindon: appointed in 1945 Locomotive Mag., 1945, 51, 32.. Represented Swindon on the design team which schemed the British Railways Standard locomotives. Cox British Railways standard steam locomotives noted that "at Swindon F.C. Mattingly [sic] was a pure-bred Great Western man, nurtured in the unbroken traditions of that line, and uncontaminated hitherto by any foreign thinking on locomotive design. G. E. Scholes was his chief assistant, a man of the utmost integrity and objectivity with whom it was a delight to work. Initialled Swindon drawings as FCM: see letter from Mike Cassey in Gt Western Rly J., 1, 131..

Morris, L.G.
Assistant Division. Locomotive. Superintendent Newton Abbot. to Assistant. Division. Locomotive. Superintendent. Old Oak Common. Loocomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 234

Nutty, Ernie
Initialled Swindon drawings as EJN: probably author of two books: see letter from Mike Cassey in Gt Western Rly J., 1, 131 and Philip Atkins Before they were famous Backtrack, 2013, 27, 722, Rutherford noted that Nutty was responsible for main drawings for Hawkswoerth County class Backtrack, 1996, 10, 215.

Pearce, E.
Worked with C.K. Dumas as one of two senior draughsmen responsible for operating Swindon dynamometer car.

Pearce, W.H.
Swindon fraughtsman who developed Stephenson valve gear for Churchward and developed the scissors gear for four cylinder locomotives which was challenged by Deeley: see John C. Gibson. Possibly in group photograph with Hawksworth at Swindon  Backtrack, 2013, 27, 278.

Peck, Alan Stanley
Entered Swindon Works as an apprentice in 1936. WW2 service in RAOC and REME. Briefly worked in Newport Motive Power District, but otherwise all service at Swindon
Book
The Great Western at Swindon Works. Oxford Publishing. 1983.
Reviewed in BackTrack, 2000, 14, 250 by Mike Blakemore and given five richly deserved stars. Needless to say not available in Breckland City Library: Reprint of valuable work first published in 1983 with second edition in 1993. "It is a classic study of the development of a great railway town and the author looks in detail at its origins and the growth of Swindon Works to their position of pre-eminence, with a host of outstanding illustrations. See also books. see also Durrant Swindon apprentice

Pellow, W.N.
While The Great Bear was still being tested, W.N. Pellow came to the Swindon in 1908. He had started his service with the Great Western in May 1904 at the St Blazey Works and sheds in Cornwall as an apprentice in engine-turning, fitting, and erecting. Pellow was a Cornishman. St Blazey, the headquarters of the former Cornwall Minerals Railway, was a very suitable starting point. There were still a number of machines in the machine shop, so that he got early experience of boring and drilling, lathework, planing, and shaping machines. With these, quite heavy overhauls were undertaken on the fleet of 0-6-0 tank engines based on the area. In 1908 Pellow was transferred to Swindon Works to finish his apprenticeship under Churchward, and he immediately took advantage of the opportunities offered there for technical education. He did well and, as a result, he entered the Swindon drawing office early in 1912 under George Burrows. In the drawing office a small team of men had been built up, known as the 'Experimental Gang', whose principal task was to ride on locomotives in service, observing the effects of various experiments and re-porting on them to Churchward. For Churchward, stated Pellow (via Rogers), was very cautious and would not put any ideas or schemes or a new engine into general use until proved in practice over a period of general working. The prototype of a new engine or carriage, for instance, was tested under all kinds of service conditions before he would recommend to the Board that a number of such a type should be put into service. When Pellow went to the drawing office the Experimental Gang were still busy watching and experimenting with The Great Bear and submitting their findings to an intensely interested Churchward. These lengthy tests were brought to an untimely end by the outbreak of the First World War, and before normal conditions could be resumed on the railways Churchward had retired. The following is from Rogers' Steam from Waterloo.

I [Pellow] remember the 0-6-0T engines of the Cornwall Mineral Railway, having worked on repairs to quite a few of them in my early days; although by that time the engines had been re-constructed to work as single units. My father remembered them working as pairs with only a limited supply of fuel and one set of footplatemen; but they never made very long journeys in those days. They would haul empty wagons up to the various clay pits and bring down loaded ones to St Blazey yard, where trains of clay were made up for despatch to Par Dock or the port of Fowey. They did the work for which they were designed very well. After some years the engines were fitted with extended frames at the rear, which carried a coal bunker, and also with a covered-in cab, a buffer beam, buffers, and drawgear; so that they were able to work as single units. Some were sent to other parts of the system and worked on dock lines and in other areas where sharp curves existed.

Publications
The work of the Motive Power Department. British Railways (Western Region), London Lecture and Debating Society. 1952
Ottley 10388
Contribution to Discussion on
Rudgard, H. Organisation and carrying-out of examinations and repairs of locomotives at running sheds in relationship to locomotive performance and availability.  J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1947, 37, 130.  (Paper No. 464)

Division Locomotive. Superintendent at Bristol, to imilar post at Old Oak Common (Locomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 234); Assistsnt Locomotive, Carriage & Wagon Engineer at Wolverhampton, Assistant to the Locomotive Running Superintendent and Outdoor Assistant to the C.M.E. (Collett); Divisional Carriage & Wagon Superintendent at Bristol, then Old Oak Common. Latterly Chief of Motive Power on Western Region. Retired 1954. See Loco. Mag., 1954, 60, 84.

Phillips, J.
Former Superintendent of Hereford District: see Ahrons, Locomotive Mag., 1914, 20, 13.

Randle, H.
Assistant to the Carriage and Wagon Works Manager, Swindon, moved to be Assistant Loco. Works Manager in 1937: see Locomotive Mag., 1937, 43, 267. Became Locomotive Works Manager, Swindon in 1947. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1947, 53, 107..

Rea, Minard Christian
Rea was manager of the works under Gooch. He was an Irish gentleman of the highest order, who was most kind to all of us, whom he called "the boys." He died  of tuberculosis at the early age of thirty-six, and was buried in St. Mark's Churchyard, New Swindon, regretted by all who knew him, T. Houghton Wright: In the Days of Gooch Rly Mag., 1898, 3, 345-52.

Read, C.T.
Chief inspector who travelled with 28XX from Swindon for tests on Glenfarg Bank on North British Edinburgh to Perth line in 1921. See Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 26

Rendel, H.T.

Roberts, H.J.
In 1922 Mechanical Engineer, Port Talbot, to be Mechanical Engineer, Barry Docks. Locomotive Mag., 1922, 28, 326.

Robinson, H.J.
Chief locomotive inspector; former driver who was alleged to have driven No. 2903 Lady of Lyons at speeds in excess of 120 mile/h in May 1906 on test light engine when new. Collett was on the footplate (see Chacksfield for instance). Retired in January 1932. Born in 1867, he started as a cleaner in 1881, and became a fireman in 1888. In 1894 he was promoted to passenger fireman, and a few years later to third-class engineman, and in 1911 was made an inspector, becoming chief inspector in 1928. He travelled on many Royal trains and had charge of several distinguished personages. He was responsible for taking the Prince of Wales to Llanelly for the Agricultural Show. In 1906 he was driver of the first 100-wagon coal train from Banbury to Swindon. He was the first inspector to run the 10-30 a.m. down Cornish Riviera Limited from Paddington to Plymouth in four hours with a 500-ton train; also to take 379 tons unpiloted up the banks between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. When the timing of the Cheltenham Flyer was cut down by three minutes, making the start to stop journey from Swindon to Paddington sixty-seven minutes, Chief Inspector Robinson rode on the engine on the first three trips, when the journeys were made in 59, 58, and 57.1 minutes respectively. Locomotive Mag., 1931, 37, 434.

Robinson, James Armstrong
Born in Carlisle in 1854; died 1933. Began railway career as apprentice under his father at Chester. Eventually he rose to become works manager and divisional superintendent at Wolverhampton, but before that had held similar position at Newton Abbot works. Latterly was Churchward's outdoor superintendent at Swindon. Retired in 1920 and joined firm of J. & P. Hill of Sheffield (Locomotive Mag., 1920, 26, 211). David Jackson's J.G. Robinson. Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272.A model for instruction purposes. Locomotive Mag., 1910, 16, 148-9.

Robinson, Matthew
Father of John George Robinson and James Armstrong Robinson. Born in Walbottle, Northumberland in 1830. Joined Newcastle & Carlisle Railway and whilst working at Carlisle married Jane Armstrong, a farmer's daughter from Walby in 1854. In June 1857 he joined George Armstrong on the Shrewsbury & Chester Railway at Shrewsbury. He then moved to Wolverhampton with Armstrong. In 1869 he moved to Chester to take charge of the GWR shed and shops. In 1876 he was promoted to be locomotive, carriage & wagon superintendent of the Bristol Division from which he retired in February 1897. David Jackson's J.G. Robinson described him as a true morth country gentleman standing well over six feet in height, weighing almost 20 stones and complete with huge bushy beard. He died in 1904 (portrait in Jackson)..

Rodda, H.C.
Assistant Divisional locomotive superintendent, Newport to  Assistant locomotive superintendent, Wolverhampton (Locomotive Mag., 1921, 27, 5). Divisional superintendent, Worcester then works manager at Stafford Road, Wolverhampton. See Locomotive Mag., 1929, 35, 370

Scholes, Gilbert E.
Scholes was the chief assistant to F.C. Mattingley. Cox British Railways standard steam locomotives noted that Scholes was "a man of the utmost integrity and objectivity with whom it was a delight to work: portrayed on Cox page..

Simpson, C.L.
Outdoor Assistant to C.M.E .. Swindon, to Division. Locomotive. Superintendent Bristol (Locomotive Mag., 1939, 45, 234)

Sly, Arthur C.L.
Served apprenticeship at Swindon. Involved in BR Standard designs and in diesel hydraulics. Initialled Swindon drawings as ACS: see letter from Mike Cassey in Gt Western Rly J., 1, 131.Ended up at Design Centre, Derby (Chacksfield: Ron Jarvis).

Smith, Sid J.
Initialled Swindon drawings as SJS: see letter from Mike Cassey in Gt Western Rly J., 1, 131. Appointed Chief Draughtsman following Hawksworth's promotion following Stanier's departure. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev. 1932,38, 1. Retired in 1945 (NB he was an MIMechE) Locomotive Mag., 1945, 51, 32.

Sterndale, Tony
Tony Sterndale worked in the Drawing Office at Swindon Works in the late 1940s. It was a fascinating but sad era, in which the old company was displaced by the nationalized concern. It was also a period when a number of older locomotives — their lives prolonged by the needs of the recently-concluded war — were finally withdrawn. Tony Sterndale photographed the locomotives — old and new — that were to be seen around the Works grounds, and some trains on the adjoining main lines, providing a fascinating record of the last days of the Great Western and the first months of the Western Region in the locality. His visits to other places on the western region also generated some interesting photographs, and these are included
Great Western Pictorial No. 3 - The Tony Sterndale Collection. Sue Sterndale. Wild Swan. 2006

Thomas, L.R.
Manager of carriage & wagon works, Swindon in 1895 (Dawn Smith). Patent wagon brake see Locomotive Mag., 1899, 4, 163

Tichener
Durrant, A.E. Swindon apprentice (1989) stated that was principal assistant to Ell when involved in controlled road testing.

Tyrwhitt, S.E.
Appointed second assistant to Diistrict Locomotive Superintendent, Barry, GWR. Locomotive Mag., 1923, 29, 366.

Wainwright, E.G.
Assistant to District Locomotive Superintendent Wolverhampton to take charge of Worcester.Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2.. Locomotive Mag., 1924, 30, 53 noted former divisional superintendent at Newton Abbot had been appointed to divisional superintendent at Wolverhampton.

Waister, W.H.
Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2. head of running department retired at end of 1912: formerly manager Stafford Road works: Dawn Smith. Aged 55 in 1902; born Newcastle and trained Wolverhampton; chief draughtsman at Swindon: 1885-7 (Peck). Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272..

Williams, Alfred Mason
Born 7 February 1877; died 10 April 1930 was a poet who lived in the vicinity of Swindon. He was almost entirely self taught, producing his most famous work, Life in a Railway Factory (1915), at night after completing a day of hard physical work in the Great Western Railway works in Swindon. He was nicknamed “The Hammerman Poet”. He was born in Cambria Cottage in the village of South Marston, the son of a carpenter, and grew up in poverty after his father abandoned his wife and eight children. He became a farm labourer at eleven, and then, when he was fifteen he entered Swindon railway works, where he worked in the Stamping Shop for the next twenty-three years. He married in 1903, Alfred pursued a demanding schedule of full-time work and private study. He published his first of book of poems in 1909, Songs in Wiltshire, but his health declined and he left the factory in 1914. Alfred Williams produced a total of thirteen books but died in poverty in 1930 in South Marston. Life in a Railway Factory has been described as “undisputed as the most important literary work ever produced in Swindon, about Swindon. Wikipedia (6 October 2011).

Williams, W.H.
Head of running department in succession to Waister: Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2.: Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272.

Wright, Frederick George
Born 1862 and died Swindon on 7 April 1938 (Marshall). Obituary Locomotive Mag., 1938, 44, 163. Apprenticed at locomotive depots at Gloucester, Swindon and Bristol. F.G. Wright was Chief Draughtsman at Swindon from 1892 to 1896 when rapid developments were taking place in boiler design. According to Marshall was reposible for much of the design work for the Dean 4-2-2s. He subsequently became Assistant Works Manager, and from 1903 Chief Assistant to Churchward. The design of Old Oak Common locomotive works was due to him. See Rutherford, Backtrack, 12, 153. Ivor Lewis (Backtrack, 2013, 27, 432) suggests that Wright's design ideas found expression in No. 3297 Earl Cawdor which had strong similarities to Great Eastern designs of that period. Group photograph with Churchward: Backtrack, 2013, 27, 272.

Wright, H.G.
Elder son of T.H. Wright: appointed Manager of Swindon Works in 1901 in succession to G.J. Churchward: Rly Mag., 1901, 8, 378.

Wright, T. Houghton
In August, 1851, Wright started in the Swindon Works as an articled pupil to Daniel Gooch: see his In the Days of Gooch. Rly Mag., 1898, 3, 345-52. The men with whom he worked first were two Scotchmen – one Charles Whitton, the other George Thompson, the former a great chewer of tobacco, the latter a taker of snuff. My first occupation was tapping nuts preparatory to them being fixed in the cylinders and steam chests, as this was the work my then mates were engaged in, and they did this piecework, and I fancy made a good profit out of it. After about three or four days, in my enthusiasm, I ventured to grind a cold chisel, but unfortunately went to the wrong side of the stone, consequently the small finger of my right hand was nipped off. There were not any Factory Acts in those days or else I should have had to be reported. This caused me to take temporary employment in the drawing office. The pupils in his time were Joseph Bourne, a very dear friend of his, E.W. Briscoe, H.B. Rotton, W.L. Holt, G. Anderson, chief draughtsman, and Frank Topham, of the clerical staff, all of whom are gone to the majority. Died 21 August 1908: Locomotive Mag., 1908, 14, 154. May have been in charge of locomotives on the Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway from July 1886 until December 1892 (but at £30 per annum this must have been no more than acting as signatury). RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western Railway Part 10

2018-12-25