1932 Who's Who in Railways: Name F
Note: This is a sub-section of 1932 Who's Who in Railways
Persons - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
FISHER (S. H.), O.B.E., Operating Assistant to Chief General Superintendent, London Midland and Scottish Railway. Mr. Fisher entered London and North Western Railway service in March, 1904, and after obtaining experience at a number of goods and passenger stations, and in the Northampton and Liverpool Goods Managers' Offices and the Swansea District Traffic Superintendent's Office, was appointed Outdoor Assistant to the Superintendent of the Line in 1910. In November, 1912, he was appointed Assistant to the District Superintendent at Euston for the Southern District of the London and North Western Railway,, and in May, 1919, made Assistant District Superintendent at Liverpool for the Northern District. In March, 1922, the Crewe District Goods Manager's District was converted into a Traffic Superintendent's District, and Mr. Fisher was appointed the District Traffic Superintendent there, retaining that position in the following year, when the London and North Western Railway was merged in the London Midland and Scottish Railway. In March, 1925, he was appointed Operating Assistant at Crewe to the Chief General Superintendent. In 1929 he became Divisional Superintendent of Operation, Derby, and as from January, 1932, was appointed Operating Assistant to Chief General Superintendent, Derby.
FLOYD (P. J..), Traffic Manager Great Southern Railways (Ireland). Mr. Floyd entered the service of the Great Southern and Western Railway in May, 1891. After general experience of outside and station duties, he was transferred to the office of the Superintendent of the Line in January, 1898. In January, 1902, he was appointed Chief of the Trains Department—an important section of the office of the Superintendent of the Line. In May, 1906, he was appointed Superintendent in charge of the Northern District, and when the position of Superintendent of the Line became vacant in November, 1919, he returned to headquarters in that capacity. In November, 1924, he became Operating Superintendent, and as from May 1st, 1928, took over the duties of the Commercial Manager, with the title of Traffic Manager.
FORBES (Henry), Secretary and Manager, County Donegal Railways Joint Committee. Mr. Forbes was appointed in 1910. He has practical experience in all departments of railway work. He commenced on the clerical staff of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)in 1888, and after filling various positions at Armagh and other stations, was transferred to the Accounts Office, Belfast Goode, from which, in 1892, he was promoted to the Goods Manager's Office, and there assisted in the compilation of the revised rates brought about by the operation of the Athenry and Ennis Act of 1892. On the completion of the rates revision, Mr. Forbes was transferred to Dublin, where for some years he acted as Goods Manager's representative. He was promoted to the General Manager's Office, and for thirteen years was an Assistant on the personal staff of Lieut.-Col. Plews.
FORD (L. D.), Divisional Superintendent of Operation, Crewe, London Midland and Scottish Railway. Mr. Ford entered. London and North Western Railway service in April, 1893, at Coventry, and in March, 1896, with three years' station experience, transferred to the District Superintendent's Office, New Street Station, Birmingham. After passing through the various sections of this office, and also obtaining outdoor experience, he was appointed Chief Traffic Clerk to the District Superintendent at Birmingham in October, 1907. On the introduction of the control system on the London and North Western Railway in 1912, he was appointed the first Chief Controller for the Bescot Control Area, which comprised Birmingham and the South Staffordshire District, and this position was held until June, 1917. At the latter date he was appointed Outdoor Assistant to the District Superintendent at Manchester, London and North Western Railway (North Eastern District), and in 1918 was appointed Chief of the Central Control for the freight train working for the London and North Western Line, being stationed at Crewe. On the formation of the London Midland and Scottish Railway, Mr. Ford was appointed. Divisional Controller, Freight Services, for the Western Division, his headquarters being at Crewe. This position he held until his present appointment in 1929.
FORTH (H. T.), Assistant to Chief Accountant, Great Western Railway. Mr. Forth commenced his railway career in the Chief Accountant's Office at Paddington, in April, 1907. After gaining considerable experience in the Engineering, Signal and Electrical Section, he was, in December, 1921, made Assistant in that Section, and in March, 1924, was promoted to take charge of the Section dealing with the accounts relating to road transport and canals. In August, 1925, he was appointed Clerk-in-charge of the Engineering Accounts Section, which position he held until he received his present appointment in 1930.
FOSTER (A.), Trade Advertising Assistant to Passenger Manager, Euston, London Midland and Scottish Railway. ,Mr. Foster entered L.N.W.R. service in July, 1895, in the General Manager's Department. In 1901, after a probationary period in the Goods Department at Camden, he was transferred to the District Superintendent's Office at Euston as Claims Clerk. In 1903 Mr. Foster went to the office of the Superintendent of the Line, first as General Correspondence Clerk and later as Claims Clerk. He remained in that department until 1919, when he was appointed Chief Claims Clerk (Traffic Department) for the whole of the L.N.W.R., incidentally being responsible for the organisation of a centralised office at Euston. In 1925 he was appointed Chief Claims Clerk (Passenger Department) for the L.M.S.R., and in this connection organised a centralised office at Derby to deal with all claims in the area south of Carlisle, with supervision of the Scottish Area, this office dealing also with claims for personal injury, matters connected with lost property, and the supervision of the unclaimed property depots. During this period Mr. Foster was a member of the Joint Claims Committee of the Associated. Railway Companies at the Railway Clearing House, and twice held office as Chairman of that Committee. He was also a lay representative for the railway companies on the Terms and Conditions Committee during the negotiations between the railway companies and the traders in connection with the Standardisation of Terms and Conditions of Carriage by Railway arising out of the Railways Act, 1921, and gave evidence before the Rates Tribunal on the companies' behalf. Mr. Foster was appointed Assistant to Advertising and Publicity Office, P.C.S.O., Euston, as from January 1st, 1930, and since that date has been engaged upon the reorganisation of the Trade Advertising business of the L.M.S.R. until receiving his present appointment early this year.
FOWLER (Sir Henry), K.B.E., LL.D., D.Sc., M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E,, M.Inst.T., Assistant to Vice-President for Works (Research and Development) London Midland and Scottish Railway. Sir Henry Fowler received his technical training at Mason's Science College, now the University of Birmingham, and subsequently served an apprenticeship at the Horwich Works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. On completion of this he was appointed Assistant to Mr. George Hughes, then Chief of the Testing Department of that railway, and later its Chief Mechanical Engineer. He afterwards succeeded Mr. Hughes, both as Chief of the Testing Department, and as Gas Engineer to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, leaving in 1900 to take up a similar position with the Midland Railway. At Horwich, he was associated with the work of the Railway Mechanics' Institute, first as a student, gaining the first Whitworth Exhibition awarded to a member, and afterwards as a teacher. He was also connected with the experiments on train resistance, on which Mr. Aspinall based his paper on that subject read before the Institution of Civil Engineers. He has been associated with the introduction of heavy motor vehicles for highway traffic, and was an Assistant Secretary to the Engineer trials in 1897, and an official on the historic Liverpool trials in 1898, 1899 and 1901. In 1905 he was appointed Assistant Works Manager at Derby; and in May, 1907, Works Manager. He belongs to the Institutions of Civil Engineers and of Mechanical Engineers, and has read papers before both bodies, the former having awarded him the Miller Prize, the Telford premium, the Watt Medal and the Webb Prize, for his contributions. He is also a member of the Institute of Transport, and was awarded the Railway Engineering Gold Medal by the Council of the Institute in respect of the Session 1929-30, for his paper on " Locomotive Repairs." He is a reporter to the International Railway Congress. He is a member of the governing body of the Midland Railway Institute, Derby, and a member of the Ambulance Committee. He succeeded Mr. Deeley as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1909. At first attached; during the war, to the Ministry of Munitions, he subsequently was appointed Superintendent of Royal Aircraft Factories, in which connection he was knighted. On January 1st, 1923, Sir Henry Fowler was appointed Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London Midland and Scottish Railway, and his appointment included also the duties of Mechanical Engineer (Midland Division). He succeeded Mr. George Hughes as Chief Mechanical Engineer in 1925. His present appointment dates from January, 1931.
FRANCIS (C. J. H. W.), C.B.E., Stores Superintendent, Southern Railway. Born in 1879, Colonel Francis was educated at, Clifton, served his time on the London and North Western Railway at Crewe, and became a pupil under the late Mr. F. W. Webb. He completed his training at King's College, London, afterwards serving on the testing staff of Messrs. Willans & Robinson, Rugby. Later he was appointed an Assistant Inspecting Engineer to the Egyptian and Sudanese Government in Belgium and France. He eventually became Chief Assistant to Sir A. L. Webb, K.C.M.G., in London, being responsible for all supplies for the Egyptian State Railways and other Egyptian Government Departments. During the war he was attached to the Inland Waterways and Docks Directorate under General Collard, and was largely responsible for the development of the "Mystery Port of Richborough" and the Water Transport in Mesopotamia. In January, 1918, he was promoted Assistant Director Inland Waterways and Docks, was mentioned in dispatches, and received the C.B.E. In February, 1919, he was appointed a Controller, Disposals Board, Ministry of Munitions, and in September was transferred to Richborough in charge of disposals work at that port. He took up his duties at Nine Elms on January 1st, 1920, as Chief Storekeeper and Purchasing Agent, London and South Western Railway, continuing from January 1st, 1923, in the service of the Southern Railway, as above.
FRASER (William A.), M.Inst.C.E., Engineer (Scotland), London and North Eastern Railway, was appointed Chief Engineer of the North British Railway in October, 1911. In 1903 he became an Assistant in the New Works Office of the Engineers' Department of the North British Railway, and four years later, Chief Assistant-in-Charge of New Works. In 1909 Mr. Rutherford vacated the position of District Engineer at Thornton to become Chief Engineer of the Furness Railway; Mr. Fraser succeeded him. Soon he was also Acting Assistant Engineer, and was in this dual capacity until he became Chief Engineer of the North British Railway, continuing under the London and North Eastern Railway as Engineer-in-Charge of the Southern Area (Scotland4 until he succeeded to his present position in January, 1926.
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