1938 – 2023

David Stuckey, a lifelong member of the PWI died on 23 February 2023. David spent most of his railway career in the Southern as a permanent way engineer. 

Born in Esher on 12 June 1938, his early years were spent in Kingston but at the outbreak of war, when his father was posted to serve in Egypt the family moved to Sussex to escape the threat of bombings. David stayed with relatives at Chilgrove near Chichester in a rented house on the West Dean Estate. He was to live in or around Chichester for the rest of his life.

He was educated first at Bognor Technical School before moving to Chichester High School for Boys to take his ‘A’ Levels after which he joined the Southern Region in the District Engineer’s Permanent Way Drawing Office at Brighton. His employment terms included a day release to study at Brighton Technical College. In 1967 he was promoted to Assistant Area Civil Engineer at Horsham which he greatly enjoyed, but when the Area Civil Engineer moved on and he applied for the top job he did not get it. Undeterred he hung on and got it the next time round and very soon had the area running as he wanted it and had the trust and respect of all his supervisors.

From Horsham he moved to the CCE Permanent Way Drawing Office at Southern House in Croydon where he was in overall charge of specialist activities including gauging and became the champion for ballast glueing as a means of reducing the kinematic effects of rolling stock in tight places, There were many of these tight places on the South Eastern Division including Penge Tunnel where the kinematic envelopes of slam-door stock actually overlapped. Under the Channel Tunnel Project, this technique was used successfully in several locations between Dollands Moor and Waterloo where the Eurostar stock, with its projecting yaw-dampers, posed problems not encountered with previous new stock. 

After Croydon he left the Southern and went to the Board at Euston, again engaged on specialist permanent way work. At the universal parting of ways in April 1994, I joined Railtrack South West as Senior Contracts Manager and persuaded David to join my new team at Waterloo to manage the Infrastructure Maintenance Contract in Wessex. This was an appointment I never regretted as David’s vast experience and calm way of working were invaluable in the troubled times that so beset Railtrack from Day One with its flawed ethos and untried procedures. 

He retired from Railtrack in 1998 after which, along with a number of us who had ‘escaped’ that organisation, worked for DTM Consulting, ironically often sorting out Railtrack’s latest difficulties.

After retirement from remunerative work he volunteered on the Bluebell Railway where, amongst other things, he advised on the design of the northern extension to East Grinstead as well as on track maintenance problems. Latterly mobility problems meant he was no longer able to walk the track so reluctantly had to give this up.

As I have intimated he was a life-long member of the PWI, having joined the erstwhile Brighton Section for which he was later to serve for a time as Chairman, but transferred to the Wessex (née Guildford) Section in 1994 where he served as a committee member. Long after our retirements David and I would still venture up to Waterloo from Chichester for the monthly meetings until Covid disrupted the way things were done, but latterly increasing infirmity meant he could no longer manage the walk from Waterloo to the venue so, reluctantly, had to give that up too.

He died peacefully at his home in Chichester on 23 February 2023 and his funeral was held at The Oaks Crematorium in Havant on 22 March which was well attended by the railway family. Tributes were given by his wife Val, his sons and grandchildren. The wake was held at Chichester Yacht Club overlooking the harbour which was very appropriate as one of his passions was sailing. 

David Stuckey was the consummate professional engineer and a devoted railwayman of the old school who was widely respected as well for his wise counsel and his willingness to share the benefits of that vast knowledge and understanding with anyone who asked.

Past Chairman, Wessex Section.