I was very sad to receive the news via the PWI that my old mate Des was ill and has now sadly has passed away.
It was very brave of Des to set down a summary of his career on the Railway which I found most interesting. I really appreciated the reference to our partnership managing elements of the challenging Docklands Light Railway (DLR) project in the 1980s. The London Transport (LT) DLR contract with joint venture GEC – Mowlem was (for those days) an innovative design & build contract. There were significant stretches of British Rail infrastructure that were required to be handed over to LT, including part of the LT&S route out of Fenchurch Street and a kilometre of single-track west of Stratford.
Des had a key role for the project as the BR Engineering co-ordinator ensuring that all DLR proposals were approved by BR Engineers and then possessions and access were available to deliver the works, plus of course sign-off that the works were to BR satisfaction.
A late change to the design concept thanks to the D&B competitive bids was the driverless automated trains that we all now know and love. I was amazed how helpful the Railway Inspectorate were and of course BR with Des in guiding through this innovation – automatic trains operating adjacent to day-maintained BR sections of track. To this day the simple measures agreed are still evident that enabled the DLR to open.
These were indeed challenging and interesting times with an enthusiastic D&B contractor. I cannot stress enough how the original DLR Network opening in 1987 would never have been achieved on programme and within budget without the invaluable support of Des Willis.
I include some pictures of the DLR / BR interfaces as memories of those times including one of the young Mr Ebbutt in his heyday at DLR (alas none of Des). I often see the high-rise blocks at Canary Wharf and (love it or hate it) I reflect on how I made a difference with DLR as the catalyst for all that.
My old friend Des too helped change the London skyline and enabled significant.
