Dick Wollan
Dick Wollan was appointed to the then new post of Chief Executive of the Festiniog Railway Company from 19th April 1979, at the beginning of the final push to Blaenau Ffestiniog. He was based at his home in Northwich but was expected to be at the FR three days per week. He had previously been a director of ICI's Mond, sand and lime division. He remained in post until September 1983, by which time the railway had been opened through to Blaenau. A brief portrait appears on page 24 of Festiniog Railway Magazine 84.[1] After leaving the FR he was appointed Vice President of the FR Co. In 1985 he and his wife Mary moved to Malvern.[2] Dick died on the 27 June 2010, at a nursing home in Kent[3].
He was born and brought up in Newport, South Wales for whom he played fly-half at rugby. During World War 2 he served in India. According to the FR Magazine Portrait he was Officer (Royal Indian Engineers) in charge of what appeared at the time to be the slowest and longest-lasting troop train ever, from Madras to Rawalpindi in 1945. He maintained strong links with Jesus College Oxford.
The title of Chief Executive was not used again except for a short period in 2000 and 2001, when Ken Allen was appointed as Acting Chief Executive.
References[edit]
There are a number of sources for this material, a base one is FRM-102
- ^ "Portrait", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 084, page(s): 025
- ^ "Percy Royston Wollan 1923 - 2010", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 210, page(s): 383
- ^ Inside Motion No. 200