Retired Railway Officers Society s1

No. 1630

RETIRED RAILWAY OFFICERS’ SOCIETY

www: rros.org.uk

Minutes of Meeting

Held on Monday 4th August 2014 in the Carriage Shop at the Roundhouse, Derby College.

President: Colin Boocock

Hon Secretary: Richard Malins Hon Treasurer: John Sellar

1.  Minutes of the Meeting held on 7th July in London.

These were approved.

2.  News of Members.

The President reported the deaths of three members:

Eric Henley former Deputy Director of BR Research, aged 95 Funeral on 9th July in Mackworth UR Church, Derby. Eric retired in 1978 and was once a regular at RROS meetings.

Basil Tellwright, sometime Railfreight Manager, on 13th July aged 83 after a 13 year battle with cancer. A Memorial Service was held on 2nd August in St Mary's Church, Barnham, Sussex.

Harold Forster M.B.E., formerly Area Manager, Manchester Piccadilly on 25th July aged 92 of a brain tumour. The funeral was on 6th August in St Mary’s Church, Nantwich.

And six non-members:

Vernon Murphy, formerly of BAA and Heathrow Express, on 14th July aged 69. A well-attended Memorial Service was held on 31st July in St James Church, Gerrards Cross. Vernon spoke to the Society in 2009 and was well known in railway circles.

Brian Carritt, sometime Area Manager, Woking and InterCity Sleepers Manager, on 20th July aged 76, the funeral was on 29th July in St Nicholas Church, Grosmont near Abergavenny and at Hereford Crematorium.

Don Gallop, former Area Manager, Redhill, on 27th July aged 82. The funeral is on 12th August at Bedford Crematorium.

Professor Sir Peter Hall, geographer and town planner, and author with Chris Green of the Better Rail Stations Report for Lord Adonis in 2009, on 30th July aged 82.

Alan Willmott, at British Transport Films for 30 years until 1988, well known champion of classic railway film and as projectionist at the annual Steampipes film show, on 2nd August aged 82.

Les Singleton’s son Clifford, a Controller at West Hampstead PSB, of an aneurysm aged 57, the funeral is in Bedford on 5th August.

Members stood in silent tribute to their memory and to all those railwaymen who fell in the Great War, on this Centenary Day.

3.  Welcome to Members Recently Elected.

Chris Dwyer and Bob Yorke were attending the Society for the first time and were accorded the customary warm welcome. They looked in admiration at those senior to them in age and grade.

4.  Proposed New Members.

The details of the following applicants’ careers were shown in the Agenda and their election was approved:

Name: Address and telephone number: Sponsors:

Michael Barnes 49 Lynmouth Road, Swindon, Alison Parkinson

Wilts SN2 2DL 01793 882311 Simon Osborne

Ted Lancaster 19 Hurst Close, Baldock, Herts Deborah Trebinski

SG7 6TL 07718 204970 Alan Garnell

Jim Wheeler 54 Porton Court, Portsmouth Road Cedric Spiller

Surbiton KT6 4HZ 07860 492318 Phil Evans

5.  Pension and Travel Facilities Matters.

John Mayfield was unavailable this month. John Meara said that Portugal is ending free FIP coupons from 1st January 2015, although the 50% discount will still be available. More clarity will be sought from RSTL on the situation with intercity trains in Italy.

6.  Any Other Business.

The President reminded members of the visit to the Famous Trains Model Railway in Markeaton Park following the meeting.

7.  Talk by Ian Harris, Architect of the Roundhouse.

The President introduced Ian, a Director of Maber Associates, an East Midlands based practice and designers of the new College complex, which some members had an opportunity to tour before the meeting. For some too Derby Loco Works had featured earlier in their careers, but for many of us the 7 acre site lay derelict for several years while Pride Park then happened around it. Derby built the first main-line diesel in 1947 and its last steam locomotive in 1957. It was acquired by Derby City Council after closure in 1978 and included the last vestiges of a works that had once occupied 80 acres and had employed 4,000 at its peak. The origins of what remained go back to 1839 and the arrival of the three railways in Derby which merged in 1844 to form the Midland company. Demolition work in the 1980s had spared some of the earliest buildings and this included the North Midland Railway roundhouse. This may not have been the first such loco-shed but it is certainly the oldest surviving one. It was wrapped around by offices and a clock tower, both of which were raised in height at a later date. Fire damaged some of these buildings in 1950 but the offices were rebuilt and original clock survives. A lot of bad choices were made in the later repair and maintenance of the buildings, in the use of materials and structural stability. At its lowest point there were even trees growing out of the roof. Derby City Council’s own record on the care of historic buildings was then poor, with many on the at-risk register. Although listed Grade 2* they were prepared to let them fall down and it was left to the Principal of the Derby College to come up with a vision for its future. The FE College is one of the largest of its kind in the country, doing a lot of vocational training, and it needed a new site for expansion. Most would have chosen an area clear of heritage buildings, but the opportunity was taken to create something significant that reflected Derby’s historic place as centre of the engineering industry. In 2003 a feasibility study was undertaken and funding was finally put together to implement the novel and imaginative scheme that won the RICS Project of the Year Award in 2010. The £48m budget required support beyond the normal Further Education Funding Council resources and was gained from the HLF, EU, Derby City Council and East Midlands Development Agency. Once the project was launched it attracted a lot of support and the specialist tradesman working on restoration of the historic buildings took real ownership of their work such that there were very few snagging issues. The students now also treat it with good respect and there are few problems of litter or vandalism. Two separate original building complexes survive, one is the roundhouse and clock-tower, and the other the Engine shops. It was necessary to link them and this has been done with a new building, named after Matthew Kirtley, the MR’s Loco Superintendent. The other new building, north of the Engine shops (the millwrights shop is now used as a library and a restaurant is run by catering students) is named for the Stephensons who had a major hand in Derby’s early railways. It is the size of a secondary school and has an innovative changing colour scheme, although savings had to be made on it to pay for the restoration of the old buildings. York paving is used to represent an old track layout and the ash-pits in the roundhouse are used as heating ducts. The footbridge that once linked the station and works, and landed in the clock tower now exists only in the glazing of that building. The Roundhouse itself, which retains its crane, provides a social hub for the College and is used for special events. The President thanked Ian for a thoroughly professional presentation in which enthusiasm for the project and understanding of its historical significance came through so clearly.

------

No. 1631 Agenda for Meeting.

To be held at 13.45 in the Gascoigne Room at the Union Jack Club, London SE1 on Monday 1st September 2014

1.  Minutes of the Meeting held in Derby on 4th August 2014.

2.  News of Members.

3.  Welcome to Members Recently Elected.

4.  Pension and Travel Facilities Matters.

5.  Any Other Business.

6.  Talk by Professor Felix Schmid of Birmingham University on High Speed in Japan and Europe.

Richard Malins, Honorary Secretary: 7 Orient St, London SE11 SR

E-mail: Vale Press: 01386 858900