Stephen Norton Plummer
Stephen Norton Plummer (1890-1941)
1941 Obituary [1]
STEPHEN NORTON PLUMMER was district locomotive superintendent of one of the principal motive power divisions of the Buenos Aires Western Railway, his headquarters being at Mechita. He was born in 1890 and received his education at the Skinners' Company's School, Tunbridge Wells.
In 1908 he became a locomotive fitter's apprentice at the Brighton works of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, where he served for a term of four years. He then went to South America, and after gaining additional practical experience as a fitter on the North Eastern Argentine Railway, he was appointed running shed foreman at Corrientes in 1914.
A year later he was promoted to be an assistant district locomotive superintendent on the Buenos Aires Western Railway. After holding this position for three years Mr. Plummer was transferred to the First District of the same railway in a similar capacity.
In 1919 he was appointed shed foreman at Pehuajo, and a year later was made district locomotive superintendent for the Fourth. District, where he was responsible for locomotive maintenance and repairs, and for supervising the engine crews and shopmen.
In 1928 Mr. Plummer took charge of the Second District in a similar capacity, and held that position until his death, which occurred on 25th November 1940. The district comprised 803 km. of line, and in addition to the usual running sheds and repair , shops, it also included wagon repair shops.
Mr. Plummer was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1929.
1941 Obituary.[2]
Stephen Norton Plummer, elected a Member in 1926, was born at Tunbridge Wells on November 25th, 1890. He was educated at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School (Skinners’ Company) from 1900 to 1907, when he commenced his engineering apprenticeship in the locomotive shops of the L.B. and S.C. Rly., at Brighton.
On completing his time in 1912 he joined the North East Argentine Rly. Co. at Monte Caseros Works, becoming successively Assistant Running Shed Superintendent at Corrientes, Running Shed Superintendent at Alvear. In, July, 1915, he joined the Buenos Aires Western as Assistant District Locomotive Superintendent at Mechita and later was made District Locomotive Superintendent.
On July 1st, 1937, under the re-organising scheme arising from the joint working of the B.A. Southern and B.A. Western Rlys., he became chief of the Technical Traction Office at Plaza Constitucidn Station.
He died in Buenos Aires at the British Hospital on November 25th, 1940, after a long and painful illness, on his 50th birthday.