William Stanier
Encyclopedia
Sir William Arthur Stanier, FRS
(27 May 1876 - 27 September 1965) was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
.
, where his father worked for the Great Western Railway
(GWR) as William Dean's Chief Clerk, and educated at Swindon High School and also, for a single year, at Wycliffe College
.
In 1891 he followed his father into a career with the GWR, initially as an office boy and then for five years as an apprentice in the workshops. Between 1897 and 1900 he worked in the Drawing Office as a draughtsman
, before becoming Inspector of Materials in 1900. In 1904, George Jackson Churchward
appointed him as Assistant to the Divisional Locomotive Superintendent in London
. In 1912 He returned to Swindon to become the Assistant Works Manager and in 1920 was promoted to the post of Works Manager.
In late 1931, he was "headhunted" by Sir Josiah Stamp, chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS) to become the Chief Mechanical Engineer
(CME) of that railway from 1 January 1932. He was charged with introducing modern and more powerful locomotive designs, using his knowledge gained at Swindon with the GWR. Stanier built many other very successful designs for the LMS, especially the "Black 5" mixed traffic 4-6-0, and the 8F 2-8-0 freight locomotives. His Coronation Scot set a new British record of 114 mph, beating the previous record set by a Gresley A4.
During WWII he worked as a consultant for the Ministry of Supply and retired in 1944. He was knighted on 9 February 1943 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on his retirement, the only railway engineer other than George Stephenson
to receive that honour. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
for 1944.
He died in Rickmansworth in 1965. He had married in 1906 Ella Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Copeland Morse
; they had one son and one daughter.
, which the LMS had inherited from the Midland Railway
, with beneficial results. Designs introduced by Stanier include:
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(27 May 1876 - 27 September 1965) was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.
Biography
He was born in SwindonSwindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, where his father worked for the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) as William Dean's Chief Clerk, and educated at Swindon High School and also, for a single year, at Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College (Gloucestershire)
Wycliffe College is a co-educational independent school located in the town of Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, in the West of England. The school was founded in 1882 by GW Sibly, and comprises a Nursery School for ages 2 – 4, a Preparatory School for ages 4 – 13, and a Senior School catering for...
.
In 1891 he followed his father into a career with the GWR, initially as an office boy and then for five years as an apprentice in the workshops. Between 1897 and 1900 he worked in the Drawing Office as a draughtsman
Draughtsman
A draughtsman or draftsman , is a person skilled in drawing, either:*drawing for artistic purposes, or*technical drawing for practical purposes such as architecture or engineering...
, before becoming Inspector of Materials in 1900. In 1904, George Jackson Churchward
George Jackson Churchward
George Jackson Churchward CBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway in the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1922.-Early career:...
appointed him as Assistant to the Divisional Locomotive Superintendent in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1912 He returned to Swindon to become the Assistant Works Manager and in 1920 was promoted to the post of Works Manager.
In late 1931, he was "headhunted" by Sir Josiah Stamp, chairman of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) to become the Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
(CME) of that railway from 1 January 1932. He was charged with introducing modern and more powerful locomotive designs, using his knowledge gained at Swindon with the GWR. Stanier built many other very successful designs for the LMS, especially the "Black 5" mixed traffic 4-6-0, and the 8F 2-8-0 freight locomotives. His Coronation Scot set a new British record of 114 mph, beating the previous record set by a Gresley A4.
During WWII he worked as a consultant for the Ministry of Supply and retired in 1944. He was knighted on 9 February 1943 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on his retirement, the only railway engineer other than George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
to receive that honour. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
for 1944.
He died in Rickmansworth in 1965. He had married in 1906 Ella Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Copeland Morse
Charles Copeland Morse
Charles Copeland Morse was an American businessman known as the "American Seed King". He co-founded the Ferry-Morse Seed Company, which became the world's leading flower and vegetable seed producer....
; they had one son and one daughter.
Locomotive Designs
William Stanier, with the backing of Sir Josiah Stamp, Chairman of the Company, reversed the small engine policyLocomotives of the Midland Railway
The Midland Railway's locomotives , followed its small engine policy. The policy was later adopted by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and contrasted with the London and North Western Railway's policy...
, which the LMS had inherited from the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, with beneficial results. Designs introduced by Stanier include:
- LMS Class 2P 0-4-4TLMS Stanier 0-4-4TThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier 0-4-4T was a class of 10 light passenger locomotives built in 1932. Ostensibly designed under new CME William Stanier, they were in fact the last new design of the Midland Railway's school of engineering....
(designed in the Midland Railway design office) - LMS Class 3MT 2-6-2TLMS Stanier 2-6-2TThe Stanier 2-6-2T was a class of London, Midland and Scottish Railway steam locomotive. They were designed by William Stanier based on the earlier LMS Fowler 2-6-2T.- Overview :...
- LMS Class 4MT 2-6-4T (3-cyl)LMS 3-Cylindered Stanier 2-6-4TLMS 3-Cylindered Stanier 2-6-4T is a class of steam locomotive designed for work over the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. All 2500-36 were built in 1934 at Derby Works. The third cylinder was provided to allow increased acceleration between the many stops on the L.T.&S.R. line. From 1935 the...
- LMS Class 4MT 2-6-4T (2-cyl)LMS 2-Cylindered Stanier 2-6-4TSir William Stanier's London, Midland and Scottish Railway 2-Cylinder 2-6-4T is a class of 206 steam locomotive built between 1935 and 1943. They were based on his LMS 3-Cylinder 2-6-4T....
- LMS Class 5MT 2-6-0LMS Stanier MogulThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier 2-6-0 or Stanier Mogul is a class of 2-6-0 mixed traffic steam locomotive. Forty were built between October 1933 and March 1934.- Overview :...
- LMS Class 5MT "Black Five" 4-6-0
- LMS Class 6P "Jubilee" 4-6-0LMS Jubilee ClassThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for mainline passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936...
- LMS Class 8P "Princess Royal" 4-6-2LMS Princess Royal ClassThe London, Midland and Scottish Railway Princess Royal Class is a class of an express passenger steam locomotive designed by William Stanier. They were Pacifics...
- LMS Class 8P "Princess Coronation" 4-6-2LMS Princess Coronation ClassThe London Midland and Scottish Railway Coronation Class is a class of express passenger steam locomotives designed by William Stanier. They were an enlarged version of the LMS Princess Royal Class. Several examples were originally built as streamlined, though this was later removed...
- LMS Class 8F 2-8-0
- LMS TurbomotiveLMS TurbomotiveThe Turbomotive was a modified Princess Royal Class steam locomotive designed by William Stanier and built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1935. It used turbines instead of cylinders...