Page 22 - link magazine

Swindon Wide
22

Swindon engineer was
the last man to run the
Great Western Railway
Local historian Steve Wakefield concludes his
story of the industry that made Swindon the pow-
erhouse of the 19th and 20th Centuries and was
marked by the GWR175 Celebrations in 2010.
F.W. Hawksworth, JP, M.I.MECH.E. His swansong project before
was the only Chief Mechanical retirement was the ‘County Class’
Engineer of the GWR to be born in 1000 4-6-0 locomotive, though it
Swindon, and this fact befits the last was not really a new build as it used
man to hold that office in the GWR. components readily available from
11th January - 20th November 2011 Frederick William Hawksworth, existing locomotive classes, manu-
was a lifelong member of St Marks factured at Swindon Works. Sadly
1/4 Aromatic Crispy Duck Church Choir, educated at Sandford no examples of this engine survive.
Street Boys School and North Wilt-
Hawksworth was perhaps the
or Barbecue Ribs, Crispy Seaweed shire Technical College, joining the epitome of the ‘journey man’ travel-
& Mini vegetable Spring Rolls GWR as an apprentice at the end ling along the road from apprentice
to chief mechanical engineer; he
of the 19th Century.
Appointed a draughtsman in was also against the feudal ways
Choose 3 Dishes of your choice 1905, he worked on Churchward’s of the management of the works
from our selection: Great Bear, the loco class that and did much to change previous
never was. Being the ‘cats whiskers’ practices. What could he have be-
Sweet & Sour Chicken (Hk Style) amongst the young talent under come if World War II had not broken
Churchward he also designed the out is anybody’s guess, but he was
Beef with Green Peppers valve gear for most of the later GWR still a revered railway engineer in
in Black Bean Sauce locomotives. his own right.
Hawksworth be-
Prawns with Ginger & Spring onions came chief draughts-
man in 1925, oversee-
Spicy Salt & Garlic Chicken ing many innovations,
Lemon Chicken including outside cyl-
inders for his 1500
Chicken Curry class of 0-6-0 tank
shunting locos, to en-
Shredded Chilli Beef able lubricating from
Satay Roast Pork the track side, and a
high pressure boiler
* * * built for Stanier at
Swindon during the
Egg Fried Rice, war. Women tackling men’s jobs in Swindon Works
Photo: Steam, Museum of the
Some of the coal
Prawn Crackers & Fortune Cookies and water tenders Great Western Railway
£18.88 he designed are also in existence on peace Hawksworth pioneered
and heritage railways and preser- gas turbine locomotives and the
(Menu Price £26.15) vationists believe it is a prize catch conversion of coal burning steam
to have a Hawksworth tender fitted locomotives to oil, as well as pre-
to their loco. paring the GWR for nationalisation.
He was a specialist in design
He is renowned for the 9400 class
Tel: 01793 703388 of tank loco and also for his work on and had reached the pinnacle of
the gas turbine electric locomotives the GWR; being a glorified ‘Works
Unit 2 Elstree Way, Abbey Meads SN25 4YX that were introduced after he retired. Manager’ after the GWR was incor-
porated into British Railways in De-
Perhaps Hawksworth was cheat-
DELIvERY oR TAkE AWAY ed by circumstances when the war cember 1947 was not an attraction.
intervened in his career, as the on retirement Hawksworth re-
Open: Sun - Thur 4.45pm - 11.15pm; Fri & Sat 4.45pm - 11.45pm process of replacing CB Collett was mained in the town of his birth and
Last orders for delivery 15 minutes before closing time. open Every Bank Holiday undertaken in a leisurely manner. passed away in July 1976.
He finally became chief mechani-
Licenced to sell and deliver wine and beer cal engineer in 1941 and although Winners of five competitions
See our full menu at he was prevented from working in December Link
on new designs, he did fit long
www.rendezvous.uk.net overdue super heaters to Collett’s Manor House Hotel: Mrs L Garland,
Haydon Wick
Hall Class 4-6-0s, later known as
modified halls. Toy Story DVD/Track Set: Evie Hester,
Lechlade; S Curtis, oakhurst
At the helm of the GWR during Graham Light’s Wonders of Weston-
the years of conflict it fell upon birt: Mrs E Ship, Shaw
Hawksworth to manage the ever A Drummer’s perspective: Dill Hawkes,
increasing and diverse demands Westlea
on Swindon Works to respond to Melinda Messenger’s Cookbook:
the war effort. Unlike Collett before k Davies, Devizes; Derek Richards,
him, he was happy for women to Haydon Wick; Nick McCormack, Grange
take up factory work previously Park; E Thompson, oakhurst; M Smith,
done by men. Freshbrook

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