Congratulations to the PWI on 140 years existence and still expanding into new areas of engineering
closely associated with railway track. I joined the PWI Nottingham and Derby Section on 19th February 1962 and I look back at the age of 90 to my long association with it for 65 years.
After National Service in REME I obtained a 2- year Post-Graduate Training at Crewe Locomotive Works and Derby Carriage and Wagon Works, joining British Rail Research and Development In 1960 in the Permanent Way Section at their new Headquarters in Derby. The main areas of investigation at that time were involved with rail bolt hole stresses and lateral forces on curves, rail pad wear and fastening failures. During one of British Rail’s reorganizations I moved to the Field Trials Section covering derailments, setting up test tracks and Officer in Charge of test trains. During this time I attended the Nottingham and Derby PWI meetings and qualified as a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the PWI. I gained much knowledge from the other members and talks given at meetings by speakers from British Rail and Suppliers.
With the gradual split up of British Rail Research I moved to Pandrol Rail Fastenings in 1980. I was responsible for close liaison with the ultimate user especially with the introduction of Panlocks, “e” clips and Fastclip by British Rail. The installation required ensuring the user had the right training with the correct hand tools. I gave presentations at many Permanent Way Section Meetings as well as to Training Assistants. My “Appointments Diary” shows that in 16 years I had 650 appointments with Divisional and Area Engineers over the whole of the British Rail network. Generally, these took place in the morning discussing any problems and a site visit in the afternoon.
The peak of my PWI membership was in 1984 with the Centenary Events held in Nottingham when I was Chairman of the Nottingham and Derby Section and helped with the organization of the Convention at the University. I attended many PWI Conventions both in the UK and abroad and my wife often accompanied me. These I found to be very informative, friendly and well planned, bringing to together all levels of membership, both from the UK and overseas. I was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the PWI in 2001 and retired from Pandrol in 1996. I am no longer able to attend meetings but still enjoy hearing and reading about the PWI activities which played a big part in my working life. The progress made in recent years by the PWI to be granted a licence by the Engineering Council to award Professional Registration to railway engineers is to be congratulated.
One light-hearted historical incident! In the early days of B.R. long welded track it raised the question of lateral stability. The Research Department had built a long three-piece track trolley that could be assembled on site, pushed along for about half a mile with a pen recorder registering alignment. This trolley was packed in a 6 ft long, 2 ft wide and 2 ft deep black box, assembled within the possession. On returning from a test site to Paddington Station three of us wearing long black raincoats pushed the track trolley, now inside the long black box, across the concourse, on a porter’s trolley we had acquired, to a waiting van. On the way several gentlemen solemnly stood and removed their hats as we passed by – we tried to look suitably sombre!!
My wife and I look back with happy memories to the meetings, social events and conventions we attended and made many friends. I send my best wishes to all present and past members of the PWI.
Bill (W.H.) Goodwin
1st March 2024