- H. P. M. Beames
Hewitt Pearson Montague Beames (
9 May 1875 —5 March 1948 ) wasChief Mechanical Engineer of theLondon and North Western Railway 1920-1922.Biography
Beames was born near
Dublin in 1875, and educated at Corrig School, Kingstown, County Dublin, (nowDún Laoghaire ), atDover College , andCrawley's Military Academy . He then continued his education as an apprentice underFrancis William Webb at theCrewe works of theLondon and North Western Railway (LNWR), becoming an apprentice and then a pupil there.A keen
rugby union player, Beames played forLancashire on several occasions, and was invited to tour Canada with the Irish national rugby union team, but was unable to go.Between January 1900 and May 1901, Beames served in the cavalry in
South Africa during the Boer War. He then resumed work at Crewe.Between January 1902 and 1909, Beames was "Assistant to the Outdoor Superintendent, Crewe" who dealt with pumping, dredging and other dock machinery. From 1909 until the outbreak of the
First World War in 1914, Beames was personal assistant to theChief Mechanical Engineer (CME),Charles Bowen-Cooke .On the outbreak of war, Beames joined the
Royal Engineers ' Railway Company with theBritish Expeditionary Force until he was recalled to Crewe to become "Chief Assistant and Works Manager, Crewe Works". Beames became Deputy CME in June 1919 and CME in November 1920.Beames only produced one new locomotive, the
LNWR Beames 0-8-4T for use in South Wales. He also reboilered theLNWR Claughton Class locomotives.The LNWR merged with the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) in 1922 and the latter's CME, George Hughes was made CME of the now expanded LNWR, with Beames "Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Western Division". The LNWR was then grouped in 1923 into theLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and Beames became "Mechanical Engineer, Crewe". Beames was overlooked in favour of the elderly Hughes for the top position.In December 1930 Beames was made Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer, under
Ernest Lemon headquartered atDerby . Lemon was quickly promoted and a new manWilliam Stanier brought in.Beames retired from the railway on
30 September 1934 . He was then active in local politics and was awarded the CBE by George VI in 1946.External links
* [http://www.steamindex.com/people/bowcook.htm#beames Bowen Cooke, Whale & Beames ] at www.steamindex.com
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