Carlton Tom Hurry Riches
Carlton Tom Hurry Riches (c1874-1943)
1944 Obituary [1]
CARLTON TOM HURRY RICHES, whose death occurred at Caerphilly on 5th August 1943, at the age of 69, was the son of the late Mr. T. Hurry Riches, the locomotive superintendent of the Taff Vale Railway who was President of the Institution in 1907-8. Mr. Riches served his pupilage under his father at the West Yard depot of the Taff Vale Railway and subsequently obtained an engineering scholarship at the University of Wales. After completing his studies he was appointed assistant works manager to Messrs. Browett, Lindley, and later joined Messrs. Rendel and, Robertson (now Messrs. Rendel, Palmer and Tritton), consulting engineers for the Indian State Railways.
Mr. Riches left the firm to become assistant works manager at the Gorton locomotive works of the Great Central Railway. His next appointment, which he took up in 1906, was that of locomotive carriage and wagon superintendent of the Rhymney Railway. The locomotive designs for which he was responsible during this period were straightforward types of 0-6-2 and 0-6-0 tank engines, built by private manufacturers. The amalgamation of that railway with the Great Western Railway took place at the close of 1922, and Mr. Riches was made divisional locomotive, carriage and wagon superintendent of the Cardiff Valleys Division of the G.W.R., occupying this position until his retirement in 1939.
Mr. Riches was keenly interested in the technical training of engineers, and was chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Technical College, Cardiff. His long association with the Institution dated back to 1895 when he was elected a Graduate. He was transferred to Associate Membership in 1900 and to Membership in 1906. He was also a past-president of the Locomotive Association of Great Britain and Ireland.