Gerry Fiennes
Encyclopedia
Gerry Fiennes (7 June 1906 – 25 May 1985) was a British
railway manager who rose through the ranks of the London and North Eastern Railway
and later British Rail
following graduation from Oxford University.
He joined the London and North Eastern Railway as a Traffic Apprentice in 1928, and his subsequent appointments included:
Fiennes was largely responsible for pushing for the purchase by BR of the 22 English Electric/ Napier "Deltic" locomotives
in 1959 (in service 1961-82). These were deemed necessary as they were capable of prolonged running at 100 mph (160 km/h), in order to compete with the electrified West Coast Main Line.
He was fired from British Rail in 1967 for publishing the book I Tried to Run a Railway, which was outspoken about the management of British Rail and particularly critical of the frequent management re-organisations that it had gone through since nationalisation.
Following his main railway career, he was a director of Hargreaves Group between 1968 and 1976, and also a director of the railway publishers Ian Allan Ltd, who had published his book, and for whose rail industry magazines he had previously written extensively, and was Mayor of Aldeburgh
, Suffolk
in 1976. He continued his association with railways by accepting an invitation to join the Board of Directors of the independent, narrow gauge, Ffestiniog Railway
Company, in North Wales, on which he served between 1968 and 1974. Between 1970 and 1974 he was the Company's nominee to the Board of directors of the Ffestiniog Railway Society, the voluntary supporters' organisation.
He was related to the actors Ralph
and Joseph Fiennes
, and the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
railway manager who rose through the ranks of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
and later British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
following graduation from Oxford University.
He joined the London and North Eastern Railway as a Traffic Apprentice in 1928, and his subsequent appointments included:
- Assistant Yardmaster, Whitemoor Yard, Cambridgeshire, 1932
- Chief Controller, CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, 1934. - Various appointments at YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, London Liverpool Street stationLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and ShenfieldShenfield railway stationShenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on...
. - District Operating Superintendent, NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, 1943. - District Operating Superintendent, Stratford stationStratford stationStratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
, east London, 1944. - Operating Superintendent, Eastern Region, British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, 1956-57. - Line Traffic Manager, London King's Cross station, 1957-61.
- Chief Operating Officer, British Rail, 1961-63.
- Chairman of the Western Region Board, and General Manager, Western Region BR, 1963-65.
- Chairman of the Eastern Region Board, and General Manager, Eastern Region, BR, 1965-67.
Fiennes was largely responsible for pushing for the purchase by BR of the 22 English Electric/ Napier "Deltic" locomotives
British Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55 is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which...
in 1959 (in service 1961-82). These were deemed necessary as they were capable of prolonged running at 100 mph (160 km/h), in order to compete with the electrified West Coast Main Line.
He was fired from British Rail in 1967 for publishing the book I Tried to Run a Railway, which was outspoken about the management of British Rail and particularly critical of the frequent management re-organisations that it had gone through since nationalisation.
Following his main railway career, he was a director of Hargreaves Group between 1968 and 1976, and also a director of the railway publishers Ian Allan Ltd, who had published his book, and for whose rail industry magazines he had previously written extensively, and was Mayor of Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
in 1976. He continued his association with railways by accepting an invitation to join the Board of Directors of the independent, narrow gauge, Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
Company, in North Wales, on which he served between 1968 and 1974. Between 1970 and 1974 he was the Company's nominee to the Board of directors of the Ffestiniog Railway Society, the voluntary supporters' organisation.
He was related to the actors Ralph
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
and Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
, and the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph Fiennes
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
.