View source for George Hughes (engineer)

{{Short description|British railway and locomotive engineer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox engineer
|image                = 
|image_size           =
|caption              = 
|name                 = George Hughes
|nationality          = 
|birth_date           = {{dob|1865|10|09|df=yes}}
|birth_place          = [[Benwick]], [[Cambridgeshire]], England
|death_date           = {{dda|1945|10|27|1865|10|09|df=yes}}
|death_place          = [[Stamford, Lincolnshire]], England
|education            = 
|spouse               = 
|parents              = 
|children             = 
|discipline           = Locomotive engineer
|institutions         = 
|practice_name        = 
|significant_projects = 
|significant_design   = 
|significant_advance  = 
|significant_awards   = 
}}
'''George Hughes''' (9 October 1865 &ndash; 27 October 1945) was an [[England|English]] locomotive engineer, and [[chief mechanical engineer]] (CME) of the [[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]] (L&YR) and the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS).
==Biography==
George Hughes was born on 9 October 1865 and served a premium apprenticeship at the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR) [[Crewe Works]] between 1882 and 1886.<ref name="Grace">{{cite web|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_Hughes|title=George Hughes|website=Grace's Guide to British Industrial History|access-date=22 August 2019|df=dmy-all|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620203319/https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/George_Hughes|archive-date=20 June 2017}}</ref>

At the L&YR he started in the test room, and Bulleid notes the L&YR's [[John Aspinall (engineer)|John Aspinall]] was most pleased with his work there.{{sfn|Bulleid|1967|p=100}} He progressed through various positions at the L&YR culminating in achieving in becoming chief mechanical engineer in March 1904.<ref name="Grace"/> 

He introduced the L&YR locomotive classification system around 1919.{{sfnp|Marshall|1972|page=273}} 

When the L&YR amalgamated into the LNWR in January 1922 he became the CME of the combined group and was appointed the CME of the LMS on its formation at the 1923 grouping.<ref name="Grace"/>

He retired in July 1925 after only two and a half years at the LMS.{{sfn|Marshall|1972|pp=198}} He was succeeded by [[Henry Fowler (engineer)|Henry Fowler]] who had worked with him at [[Horwich Works]] before moving to the former [[Midland Railway]]'s [[Derby Works]].{{sfnp|Whitehouse|Thomas|1987|page=38}}

He died on 27 October 1945.<ref name="Grace"/>

==Steam locomotives==
===L&YR===
* [[L&YR Class 4|Class 4]], a superheated development of the [[L&YR Class 3|Class 3]], there were 2 versions each having different cylinder sizes and valve gear. 
* [[L&YR Class 6|Class 6]], a superheated development of the [[L&YR Class 5|Class 5]]
* [[L&YR Class 8|Class 8]] 4-6-0 ''Dreadnought''. As initially built these express passenger engines had significant issues, following rebuild their performance was "creditable".{{sfnp|Whitehouse|Thomas|1987|page=47}}
* [[L&YR Class 28|Class 28]], a superheated development of the [[L&YR Class 27|Class 27]]
* [[L&YR railmotors|Railmotors]]
* [[L&YR 2-10-0 (Hughes)|2-10-0]], a heavy mineral loco design of 1914, not built owing to the outbreak of the Great War.

===LMS===
* [[LMS Hughes Crab]], a {{Whyte|2-6-0}} [[Power classification|5P4F]] [[mixed-traffic locomotive]] had the basic design completed before Hughes' retirement. It  was the last design from [[Horwich Works]] and Marshall gives it the accolade "The engine became at once, and remained, one of the best on the LMS". 245 were produced and Marshall comments the successful [[LMS Fowler 2-6-4T]] was also influenced by the design.{{sfn|Marshall|1972|pp=198–200}}
* [[L&YR Hughes 4-6-4T|4-6-4T ''Dreadnought tank'']], Designed for L&YR, built by the LMS.

==Electric locomotives==
During Hughes' time at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway built an [[LYR electric units#A-eLoco|electric goods locomotive]] in 1912 and a [[LYR electric units#A-beShunter|battery-electric shunter]] around 1917. The former had four 150 horsepower motors (total 600&nbsp;hp) and could pick up current from the [[third rail]] on the main line or from [[overhead lines]] in freight yards.{{sfn|Marshall|1972|pp=173, 184–185, 191–192}}

==Publications==
* {{Cite book|last=Hughes|first=George|date=1894|title=The Construction of the Modern Locomotive
        |publisher=E. F. Spon, Spon and Chamberlain|location=London, New York|url=https://archive.org/details/constructionmod00hughgoog|oclc=608990983}}

==See also==
* [[Locomotives of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]
* [[LYR electric units]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |title=LMS 150 |date=1987 |last1=Whitehouse |first1=Patrick |last2=Thomas |authorlink2=David St John Thomas |first2=David St John |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot}}
*{{cite book|last=Bulleid|first=H.A.V.|title=The Aspinall Era|date=1967|publisher=Ian Allan Ltd}}
*{{cite book|last=Marshall|first=John|title=The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, volume 3|year=1972|publisher=David & Charles|location=Newton Abbot|isbn=0-7153-5320-9 }}

==External links==
* [https://steamindex.com/people/hughes.htm George Hughes] Steam Index website article

{{s-start}}
{{s-bus}}
{{succession box
|before=[[Henry Hoy]]
|title=[[Chief mechanical engineer]]<br>[[Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]
|years=1904 &ndash; 1922
|after=''Company absorbed by the London and North Western Railway''
}}
{{succession box
|before=[[H. P. M. Beames]]
|title=[[Chief mechanical engineer]]<br /> [[London and North Western Railway]]
|years=1922 &ndash; 1923
|after=''Company absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway''
}}
{{succession box|
|before=''Company formed by the<br>[[Railways Act 1921]]''
|title=[[Chief mechanical engineer]]<br /> [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]]
|years=1923 &ndash; 1925
|after=[[Henry Fowler (engineer)|Henry Fowler]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Locomotives}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, George}}
[[Category:1865 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:English railway mechanical engineers]]
[[Category:Locomotive builders and designers]]
[[Category:Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway]]
[[Category:London, Midland and Scottish Railway people]]


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