S. D. Holden

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Stephen Dewar Holden
James Holden
Engineering career
DisciplineLocomotive engineer
InstitutionsInstitution of Mechanical Engineers
Employer(s)Great Eastern Railway
Significant designGER Class S69 4-6-0

Stephen Dewar Holden (23 August 1870 – 7 February 1918) was a

James Holden and succeeded his father as locomotive superintendent of the Great Eastern Railway
in 1908, a post he held until his retirement in 1912.

Biography

Holden was born at

James Holden, who at that time was superintendent of the Great Western Railway workshops at Chester. After a private education, he attended University College School, London.[1]

Upon leaving school at the age of 16, he joined the Great Eastern Railway (GER) at their Stratford Works, London,[1] where his father had been Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent since 1885.[2] There he studied under his father for four years, following which he worked in the drawing office for 18 months; he then became an inspector in the running department. In October 1892 he became Suburban District Locomotive Superintendent; two years later he was transferred to Ipswich, and in July 1897 he returned to London, as divisional locomotive superintendent. Several more promotions - including Chief of the Running Department, and Assistant Locomotive Superintendent - led to him succeeding his father as Locomotive Superintendent from January 1908.[1]

In 1910, Holden was elected a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He resigned from the GER in October 1912, being replaced by A.J. Hill.[3]

Holden died at Rochester, Kent on 7 February 1918;[1] his father died seven years later.[2]

Locomotives

The locomotives produced at Stratford during S.D. Holden's term of office were a continuation of James Holden's designs, due in part to the retention of his father's Chief Draughtsman, E.S. Tiddeman.[4] Repeat orders were placed for older designs, some of which dated back to James Holden's predecessor, T.W. Worsdell.[5][6] There were some new designs, the most notable of which was the Class S69 4-6-0 of 1911, the first six-coupled express locomotives on the GER,[7] a total of 81 being built down to 1928;[8] under the LNER, some of these were sent to north-eastern Scotland.[9] Other new designs included two classes of 2-4-2T, which despite being of different sizes, used similarly-sized cabs: the smaller engines, Class Y65, gaining the nickname "Crystal Palace Tanks" from the relatively large amount of glass for such small engines;[10] the larger 2-4-2T, Class G69, was essentially an updated version of an existing design,[11] as was the last of Holden's new classes, the Class C72 0-6-0T.[12]

Holden also tried some of the recent developments in steam locomotive technology, such as superheaters. A batch of ten

Class D56 "Claud Hamilton" 4-4-0s built in 1911 included four with superheaters, two each having the Schmidt and the Swindon pattern superheaters; but from 1914, when further locomotives of the class were fitted with superheaters after Holden's resignation, these were of the Robinson type.[13] Holden and Tiddeman jointly took out a patent (no. 8028) for a superheater design; applied for on 3 April 1912, it was accepted on 3 April 1913.[14]

Locomotives built for the GER during Holden's term of office
GER class (LNER) Wheel arrangement Years built Total Designer Ref
D56
(D15)
4-4-0 1908–11 50 J. Holden [15]
C53 (J70) 0-6-0T 1908–10 4 J. Holden [16]
M15 (F4) 2-4-2T 1908–09 30 Worsdell [6]
Y65 (F7) 2-4-2T 1909–10 12 S.D. Holden [17]
G58 (J17) 0-6-0 1910–11 10 J. Holden [18]
G69 (F6) 2-4-2T 1911–2 20 S.D. Holden [19]
S69 (B12) 4-6-0 1911–12 5 S.D. Holden [8]
Y14 (J15) 0-6-0 1912 10 Worsdell [20]
C72 (J68) 0-6-0T 1912 10 S.D. Holden [21]

Of the four new classes, two were subsequently perpetuated by A.J. Hill: there were 66 further Class S69 4-6-0 built between 1913 and 1920,[8] with a final 10 being built for the LNER in 1928;[22] ten Class C72 0-6-0T were built in 1913–14 and ten more in 1923, the latter being delivered to the LNER.[21]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Marshall 1978, p. 116.
  2. ^ a b Marshall 1978, p. 115.
  3. ^ Marshall 1978, p. 117.
  4. ^ Marshall 1978, p. 116–7.
  5. ^ Fry 1966, pp. 84–85.
  6. ^ a b Fry 1964, p. 65.
  7. ^ Allen 1956, p. 143.
  8. ^ a b c Boddy et al. 1975, p. 50.
  9. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, p. 62.
  10. ^ Allen 1956, p. 150.
  11. ^ Allen 1956, pp. 152.
  12. ^ Allen 1956, pp. 150–1.
  13. ^ Fry et al. 1981, pp. 19, 25, 55.
  14. ^ Steamindex 2008, Stephen Dewar Holden.
  15. ^ Fry et al. 1981, p. 19.
  16. ^ Allen et al. 1970, p. 100.
  17. ^ Fry 1964, p. 76.
  18. ^ Fry 1966, p. 99.
  19. ^ Fry 1964, p. 74.
  20. ^ Fry 1966, p. 85.
  21. ^ a b Allen et al. 1970, p. 97.
  22. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 50–51.

References

  • Allen, Cecil J. (1956) [1955]. The Great Eastern Railway (2nd ed.). Hampton Court: Ian Allan.
  • Allen, D. W.; Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; Roundthwaite, T. E.; Tee, D. F.; .
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; .
  • Fry, E.V.; Hoole, K.; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; .
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (September 1966). Part 5: Tender Engines - Classes J1 to J37. Locomotives of the L.N.E.R. Kenilworth: .
  • Fry, E.V., ed. (April 1964). Part 7: Tank Engines - Classes A5 to H2. Locomotives of the L.N.E.R. Kenilworth: .
  • .
  • "James Holden, S.D. Holden, A.J. Hill & F.V. Russell". steamindex.com. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2010.

External links

Business positions
Preceded by
James Holden
Locomotive Superintendent of the
Great Eastern Railway

1908-1912
Succeeded by