Bill Hoole
From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
Bill Hoole spent his working life on the 'big' railway, starting on the Cheshire Lines Committee as an engine cleaner and finishing his career as a top link driver on the East Coast Main Line based at Kings Cross. Driver Hoole's normal locomotive in British Railways days was 60007 "Sir Nigel Gresley", and it was with "Number 7" he achieved the official post war steam speed record of 112mph on 23rd May 1959. Alan Pegler was on the footplate. Although failing to beat Driver Duddington's exploits with Mallard, he ensured the locomotive was fit to return to traffic the next day. Legend says he was also recorded at 117mph by innaccurate PW measuring equipment. Source
He knew Allan Garraway who introduced him to the Ffestiniog Railway and on retirement after his 1959 exploits Bill moved to North Wales and started a second career as a driver for the FR Co.
He died in 1979 and is buried in Minffordd Cemetary, the gravestone stating "BILL HOOLE - ENGINEMAN EXTRAORDINARY". This is also the title of his biography by Peter Semmens.
There is an obituary to Bill in FR Magazine 86, on page 3.