Stratford engineers and draughtsmen

See Locomotive Mag., 1906, 12, 16: Reunion Dinner of Locomotive Department, G.E.R. 16. illus.
Held in the Abercorn Rooms within the Liverpool Street Station Hotel on 8 December 1911. Photograph shows the 49 present with a key to identify those present with James Holden: W.E. Dalby, A.J. Hill, G. Elliot, W. Collingwood, George Winmill, J.H.B. Jemkins, E. Winmill, J. Pollock, J. Wild, J. Cookson, J. Abbott, A.P.Turner, C.W.L. Glaze, A.W. Polley, H. Rudland, J.C. Mannooch, C.A. Robinson, J. Wilson, A. Lansdell, F. Duce, R.L. Soper, J.B. Corrie, T.W. Ford, E.F. Elliot, T.O. Mein, W. Pickersgill, R.H. Haylock, M.A. Selaverani, W.F. Pettigrew, D. Gillies, F.W. Dodd, C. Watchhurst, C. Adams, A.C. Kelly, L. Simpson, F.V. Russell, J.H. Adams, J.H. Bowles, L. Meyrick-Jones, H.W.C. Drury, H. Haylock, A.G. Herbert, Henry Parker, A.P. Parker, W.D. Craig, J.W. Howard, G. Macallan, G.B. Lawrence.

Craig, W.D.
Chief locomotive draughtsman until 1907 when he retired. Joined the GER in 1868..

Drury, H.W.C.  
Moved from Doncaster District to Cambridge (move noted in Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2)

Duce, E.  
To take over Doncaster, including responsibility for York and Lincoln (move noted in Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2) .

English, A.E.
Senior Tecnical Assistant to the Mechanical Engineer, Stratford, LNER. "fount of knowledge, experience and ingenuity... and greatly respected by Sir Nigel Gresley". Hardy Steam in the blood.

Gillies, M.
Works Manager, Stratford: in-charge of locomotive stock following resignation of Massey Bromley.

Glaze, C.W.L.
On the appointment of A. J. Hill as locomotive superintendent in 1912 (Locomotive Mag., 1912, 18, 249) Glaze became manager of the Stratford Works He had been London district locomotive superintendent for several years.He was still Works Manager at Stratford under Gresley

Hilton, H.F.
Hilton was an acknowledged authority on the old G.E.R., having been at one time District Locomotive Superintendent at Cambridge, (move noted in Locomotive Mag., 1913, 19, 2) at Stratford, and Assistant to the Superintendent of Operation, and when he retired Assistant to the Running Superintendent, LNER. Author of the Eastern Union Railway. See Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1947, 53, 46.

Macallan, George
Born at Eddleston near Peebles on 15 December 1837. Educated at the Scottish Central Schools in London. Introduced to J.V. Gooch via Lord Berriedale and started at Stratford in 1854. For a time inspected wagon axles produced for company by firm in Staffordshire. In 1864 in conjuction with W.H. Maw and Zerah Colburn he assisted with trials of No, 284 fitted with Richard's steam indicator. Between 1866 and 1875 he was District Locomotive Superintendent at Cambridge and after a period as chief erecting shop foreman he became Works Manager Stratford. He died at Widdington on 28 May 1913. (Ellis Twenty locomotive men: see anecdote concerning Worsdell). Inventor of eponymous blastpipe used on Great Eastern locomotives. See Ahrons' British steam railway locomotive p. 310. Harvey's Bill Harvey's 60 years in steam spells the surname "McCallan" on page 116 but gives an excellent description of the blast softener or cap. Obituary Loco. Rly Mag., 1913, 19, 129. Highly biographical letter in Loco. Mag., 1905, 11, 90 with specific reference to Enfield light locomotive..
Patent
10460/1905. An improved spark arrester for locomotive and other high pressure engines. Applied: 18 May 1905. Published 1 February 1906
An earlier device, presumably patented was the variable blast-pipe which Tupln describes on p. 47 of his Steam locomotive:

The MacAllan blast-pipe cap was mounted on a rod that extended across the smoke-box close to the top of the blast-pipe, but clear of the steam that came from it. When it was judged advantageous to use a smaller blast orifice, the rod was rotated (by a crank linked to a lever in the cab) to turn the cap through a right angle and to place it firmly on the fixed blast nozzle. The device was an official mechanised version of the engine-man's unofficial restrictor. It had to be clearly understood that movement of the cap whilst steam was coming from the blast pipe was highly dangerous because during transition the cap might direct steam into the tubes and then flames would be forced into the cab even past the edges of a closed' fire-door.

McDermid, William Francis
Born 10 July 1872. Spent his whole career in Stratford Works of GER: became a draughtsman in the Works Plant & Machinery Office in July 1898, and took charge of Office in 1911. He was appointed Chief Draughtsman at Stratford in 1926. Retired in 1933. Wrote papers for Instn Loco. Engrs on the blast pipe: Papers No. 291 and 300 and Paper 337 on brakes for streamlined (high speed) vehicles. Died on 2 April 1956. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1955, 45, 701...

Mein, Thomas Oliver
Assistant Manager Locomotive Works. Hon. Secretary GER Ambulance Corps. Locomotive Mag., 1908, 14, 9.

Neale, D.H.
Apprenticed to William Adams at Bow Works, and subesquently jointed him at Stratford where he was partly responsible for the design of the first British 2-6-0. For a time he worked for the Westinghouse Co. and this was a probably a major influence on the Westinghouse brake being adopted by the GER.. Wilson, E.H. William Adams (1823-1904). Trans. Newcomen Soc., 1985, 57, 125-46. Disc.: 147-8.

Tiddeman, Edmund Spencer
Obituary died 14 October 1937 (Loco. Carr. Wagon Rev., 1937, 43, 367): formerly chief draughtsman of the locomotive department. Pupil of T.W. Worsdell from 1882. Transferred to Drawing Office in 1890 and succeeded W.D. Craig as Chief Draughtsman in 1907. Retired in 1926. Inventor of water level indicator, spark arrester and a train control system.

Wild, James Vaux
See Locomotive Mag., 1907, 13, 59: for retirement presentation after 32 years as foreman of the machine shop.