Thomas Henry Sanders

Thomas Henry Sanders (1883-1943)

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1943 Obituary

THOMAS HENRY SANDERS, whose death occurred on 2nd January 1943, was for twenty years technical and works director of Messrs. Jonas Woodhead and Sons, Ltd., of Leeds, and was well known to a wide circle of engineers as an outstanding authority on the springing of rolling stock; his textbooks, "Laminated Springs"; "Springs and Suspension", and "Springs —A Miscellany", being regarded as standard works on the subject. In addition, his knowledge of railways and their working in all parts of the world was profound.

He was born in London in 1883, and received his general and technical education at the Polytechnic, Regent Street, from 1896 to 1902, which included a three years' course in engineering. In 1899 he entered the drawing office of the late Mr. George Cawley, M.I.Mech.E., consulting engineer to the Japanese Imperial Railways, and six years later was appointed inspecting engineer of material in this country, his responsibility in this connection being subsequently extended to inspections in Continental countries.

He relinquished this position in 1914 to become manager of the laminated spring shop at Messrs. Brown Bayley's works. He remained with that firm until 1917, when he accepted an appointment as works manager of Messrs. Owen and Dyson's wheel works, with a view to rebuilding the factory. After holding that position for three years he was appointed manager of the Farnley Spring Company, but in 1922 he went into business on his own account as a consulting engineer. A year later he began his long association with Messrs. Woodhead. He was also a director of Messrs. Ibbotson Brothers and Company, Ltd., and Messrs. Willford and Company, Ltd., of Leeds. He was also the holder of many patents having valuable practical applications ranging from springs to machine details.

Mr. Sanders was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1907 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1911, in which year he was awarded a Graduates' Prize for a paper on "The Commercial Testing of Railway Materials"; he was transferred to Membership in 1917.

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1942 Obituary.

THOMAS HENRY SANDERS died on January 2nd, 1943. Born in London in 1883, he was one of the first boys to take the London County Council Scholarship presented by the late King Edward VII. (then Prince of Wales). When nineteen years old he commenced his career as an inspector for railway materials under the late Mr. George Cawley, consulting engineer to the Imperial Japanese Railways, and this entailed extensive travel abroad. At the age of twenty-five he received the prize of the year as graduate of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. During the first Great War he was engaged in the production of war material, first with Messrs. Brown Bayley’s Steel Works, Ltd., and then with Messrs. Owen and Dyson, Ltd., railway wheel and axle makers. In 1920 he was responsible for the layout, equipment and management of a spring works for Messrs. Brown Bayley’s at Farnley, near Leeds. In 1923 he joined Messrs. Jonas Woodhead and Sons, Ltd., as technical engineer; in 1935 he was appointed technical director, and later was elected a director of the associated companies Messrs. Willford & Co., Ltd., and Messrs. Ibbotson Bros. & Co., Ltd.

Mr. Sanders was a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, of the Institute of Metals and of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers; twice he was awarded medals for papers

read before the latter body. He was a Past-President of the Railway Locomotivemen’s Craft Guild (Leeds Centre); in 1931 he was presented with the Freedom of the Sheffield Spring Trade Technical Society.

Mr. Sanders was a leading authority on springs and was responsible for a number of patents. His first text-book on this subject appeared in 1920, and in subsequent years he published further volumes covering the same field, the last of which was completed only a few days before his death. He was in great demand as a technical lecturer, for he was always ready to share his knowledge with others; he did not confine himself to suspension subjects only, for he was also an authority on railway practice all over the world.

Mr. Sanders took up membership of the Institute in 1922.

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