Allan Garraway
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
| Allan Garraway | |
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|---|---|
| Allan Garraway, Mananger & Engineer, at Harbour | |
| FR Co. Exec | General Manager, FR, 1955 - 1979 |
| FR Society Director | 1954 - 1955 |
| WHR People | |
Allan G.W. Garraway is the son of R.H.R. (Ron) Garraway. Having obtained his degree at Cambridge, served with the Royal Engineers in Germany where for a while he was loco superintendent on the Detmold Military Railway. On release he trained on a special two-year course at Doncaster and after a further two years spent in various districts was appointed an assistant to the Motive Power Superintendent, Eastern Region, British Railways, with particular responsibilities for Automatic Train Control (ATC) matters. Played an active role in the foundation of the Ffestiniog Railway Society and took up post of full-time Manager and Engineer to the Festiniog Railway Company in 1955 being appointed General Manager in 1958. He was the first volunteer and the first General Manager under the new dispensation. On his retirement in 1983, Allan was awarded a well deserved MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours. Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice.
As an active General Manager, 'AGWG' took his turn on engine driving duties from the early days of revival until about 1974, with Linda as his favoured steed. His unmistakeable figure, patrician, straight-backed, and often dressed in oilskins, was routinely observed on Linda's footplate on afternoon trains in this period. This was not only a duty he enjoyed, but it served him well as a frequent tour of inspection of what was happening out on the line. It was said that from his vantage point he enjoyed the bracing air (and rain) of North Wales, and it was suspected that it was no coincidence that Linda was not fitted with a tender cab similar to that with which Blanche was equipped.
(Latin quotation originally attributed to Sir Christopher Wren)
[edit]Referencess
There are a number of sources for this material, a base one is FRM-102