William Stanier

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sir

William A. Stanier

Watford, Hertfordshire
, England
SpouseElla Elizabeth Morse
Children2

Sir William Arthur Stanier, FRS[1] (27 May 1876 – 27 September 1965) was a British railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.[2]

Biography

Sir William Stanier was born in

Wycliffe College
.

In 1891 he followed his father into a career with the GWR, initially as an office boy and then for five years as an apprentice in the workshops. Between 1897 and 1900 he worked in the Drawing Office as a

Locomotive Superintendent in London
. In 1912 he returned to Swindon to become the Assistant Works Manager and in 1920 was promoted to the post of Works Manager.

In late 1931, he was "headhunted" by Sir

Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 No.6220 Coronation
set a new British record of 114 mph, beating the previous record set by a Gresley A4.

During WWII, Stanier worked as a consultant for the Ministry of Supply, and retired in 1944. He was knighted on 9 February 1943 and elected a

that honour. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers for 1944, and was a vice president of the Stephenson Locomotive Society
for a number of years until his death in 1965.

He died in Rickmansworth in 1965. In 1906, he had married Ella Elizabeth, daughter of Levi L Morse.[5] They had a son and a daughter.[6]

Locomotive Designs

LMS Stanier 5P5F 4-6-0 'Black Five' class locomotive number 5305
LMS Coronation Class 4-6-2 No 6233 Duchess of Sutherland

William Stanier, with the backing of Sir

Josiah Stamp, chairman of the company, reversed the small engine policy, which the LMS had inherited from the Midland Railway
, with beneficial results.

Locomotive designs introduced by Stanier include:

Legacy

Stanier's designs were a strong influence on the later British Railways standard classes of steam locomotives designed by R A Riddles, who adopted LMS design principles in preference to those of the other "Big Four" railway companies.

There is a secondary school in Crewe called Sir William Stanier School.

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1098/rsbm.1966.0024
    .
  2. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36240. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  3. ^ Nock, 1982, pp.10-11
  4. ^ "Lists of Royal Society Fellows 1660-2007". London: The Royal Society. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  5. ^ UK Census 1881
  6. ^ "Sir William Arthur Stanier". Who's Who in Art. Retrieved 16 July 2010.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links
Business positions
Preceded by
Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway

1932–1944 		Succeeded by
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
1944 		Succeeded by
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