Herbert Kelway Bamber (1862-1946)

1930.

1946.

Herbert Kelway Bamber (1862-1946), Railway engineer

c1863 Born in London son of Henry Kelway Bamber and his wife Anne Gwyer Bamber

1906 Article by Bamber about heavy wagon axle bearings for Indian railway wagons. He mentions the production of a hardened skin on the journals by passing hardened steel rollers under pressure along the surface of the journal turning in a lathe at about 120 rpm. This process had the effect of reducing the diameter of the finished journal by about 1/32 in., and of at once producing a highly-polished and toughened surface.

1927 Visited Doncaster Works

1930. 'Mr. H. KELWAY-BAMBER, M.V.O., President of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers, was educated at University College School, King’s College, London, and the Royal School of Mines. He was trained as a locomotive engineer at the Brighton L.B. & S.C. Railway under the late Mr. William Stroudley, M.Inst.C.E., and was for some years on the India Office Staff of Alexander M. Rendel, K.C.I.E. He went to India in 1891, and in 1902 was appointed Superintendent of Rolling Stock Shortly by the East Indian Railway Company. Shortly after, he was deputed by Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, to design and build the Royal train used by Their Majesties King George V. and Queen Mary for their journeys over the broad-gauge railways of India in 1905 and 1912. Constructed in the new carriage works at Lillooah by Indian workmen under European supervision, it introduced an entirely new type of rolling stock which has since been adopted throughout India and the East. In 1907 Mr. Bamber joined the Leeds Forge Company as their representative in London, and since 1917 has been a Vice-President of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers and Chairman of Committees.'

1939 Railway engineer retired, lived in Shrewsbury

1946 Died

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1946 Obituary.

Herbert Kelway Bamber, M.V.O., President of the Institution for Session 1930-31, was born on 6th September, 1862, and received his early education at University College School, King’s College, London, and the Royal School of Mines.

He was trained as a locomotive engineer at the Brighton Works of the then L.B. & S.C. Railway under the late William Stroudley, M.Inst.C.E., and was for some years on the India Office Staff of Inspectors under the late Sir Alexander M. Rendel, K.C.I.E.

In 1892 (at the age of 29) he went out for the East Indian Railway. Co. as Assistant Superintendent of Rolling Stock and, in 1902, was appointed Superintendent.

Shortly after, he was deputed by Lord Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy and Governor-General of India to design and build a train (afterwards called the Royal Train) to be used by Their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary for their journeys over the broad-gauge railway of India in 1905 and 1912. Constructed in the pew carriage works at Lillooah by Indian workmen under European supervision, it introduced an entirely new type of rolling stock, which was adopted throughout India and the East. It was for this good work that Mr. Bamber received the M.V.O. Returning to England in 1907 Kelway-Bamber joined the Leeds Forge Co., Ltd., as their London representative and, in 1925, became General Manager of the Company in Leeds. From 1928 to 1933 he was with the Sentinel-Cammell Co., Ltd., and then retired and settled down in Florence (Italy).

He joined the Institution in 1916, was elected a Vice-President in 1917 and served as Chairman of Committee^ for several years before being elected President in 1930.

He prepared and read no less than nine papers before the members of the Institution, in addition to his Presidential address given in 1930. The titles and years read are as follow: —

• 19I7 Thirty-five Years Advances in Indian Railway Development (Journal 17).
• 1918 Coal and Mineral Traffic on Railways of the United Kingdom (Journal 29).
• 1920 Waste of Locomotive Power (Journal 44).
• 1922 South African Railways and Rolling Stock (Journal 58). 1924. Modern Steam Rail Coaches (Journal 66).
• 1925 Railway Carriage Trucks in Service (Journal 70).
• 1926. Modern British Railway Express Passenger Engines (Journal 77).
• 1928. Modern Steam Rail Cars in Service (Journal 89).
• 1930. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Activities and Progress of the Institution and References to Modern Locomotive Practices* (Journal 97).
• 1946. Coal: and Its Post-War Carriage on British Railways.

A truly remarkable effort covering nearly 30 years.

“Coal and Its Post-War Carriage” was read on May 1st and, at the time, Mr. Bamber appeared to be in excellent health and was very much gratified by the reception given his Paper.

On returning to Shrewsbury, a few days later he caught cold and appeared exhausted. He recovered from this, however, and went out again, but, on the 5th June he collapsed in his chair and passed quickly away.

Born on the 6th of September 1862, he had completed nine months of his eighty-fourth year.

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