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George Hughes (engineer)

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George Hughes
Born(1865-10-09)9 October 1865
Died27 October 1945(1945-10-27) (aged 80)
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
DisciplineLocomotive engineer

George Hughes (9 October 1865 – 27 October 1945) was an English locomotive engineer, and chief mechanical engineer (CME) of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).

Biography

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George Hughes was born on 9 October 1865 and served a premium apprenticeship at the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Crewe Works between 1882 and 1886.[1]

At the L&YR he started in the test room, and Bulleid notes the L&YR's John Aspinall was most pleased with his work there.[2] He progressed through various positions at the L&YR culminating in achieving in becoming chief mechanical engineer in March 1904.[1]

He introduced the L&YR locomotive classification system around 1919.[3]

When the L&YR amalgamated into the LNWR in January 1922 he became the CME of the combined group and was appointed the CME of the LMS on its formation at the 1923 grouping.[1]

He retired in July 1925 after only two and a half years at the LMS.[4] He was succeeded by Henry Fowler who had worked with him at Horwich Works before moving to the former Midland Railway's Derby Works.[5]

He died on 27 October 1945.[1]

Steam locomotives

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L&YR

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  • Class 4, a superheated development of the Class 3, there were 2 versions each having different cylinder sizes and valve gear.
  • Class 6, a superheated development of the Class 5
  • Class 8 4-6-0 Dreadnought. As initially built these express passenger engines had significant issues, following rebuild their performance was "creditable".[6]
  • Class 28, a superheated development of the Class 27
  • Railmotors
  • 2-10-0, a heavy mineral loco design of 1914, not built owing to the outbreak of the Great War.

LMS

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Electric locomotives

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During Hughes' time at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway built an electric goods locomotive in 1912 and a battery-electric shunter around 1917. The former had four 150 horsepower motors (total 600 hp) and could pick up current from the third rail on the main line or from overhead lines in freight yards.[8]

Publications

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  • Hughes, George (1894). The Construction of the Modern Locomotive. London, New York: E. F. Spon, Spon and Chamberlain. OCLC 608990983.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "George Hughes". Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  2. ^ Bulleid 1967, p. 100.
  3. ^ Marshall (1972), p. 273.
  4. ^ Marshall 1972, pp. 198.
  5. ^ Whitehouse & Thomas (1987), p. 38.
  6. ^ Whitehouse & Thomas (1987), p. 47.
  7. ^ Marshall 1972, pp. 198–200.
  8. ^ Marshall 1972, pp. 173, 184–185, 191–192.

Bibliography

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  • Whitehouse, Patrick; Thomas, David St John (1987). LMS 150. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
  • Bulleid, H.A.V. (1967). The Aspinall Era. Ian Allan Ltd.
  • Marshall, John (1972). The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 3. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5320-9.
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Business positions
Preceded by Chief mechanical engineer
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

1904 – 1922
Succeeded by
Company absorbed by the London and North Western Railway
Preceded by Chief mechanical engineer
London and North Western Railway

1922 – 1923
Succeeded by
Company absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Preceded by
Company formed by the
Railways Act 1921
Chief mechanical engineer
London, Midland and Scottish Railway

1923 – 1925
Succeeded by