Francis Wayne
| Francis Wayne | |
|---|---|
| Official positions held: | |
| FR Co. Exec | Secretary 1956 - 1971 |
| FR People | WHR People | |
Francis Wayne was Festiniog Railway Company Secretary from 1956 to 1971.
As a highly respected accountant he was instrumental in arguing the Company's case for compensation from the Central Electricity Generating Board following their compulsory purchase and severance of the section of the line they needed for their pumped storage generating scheme. He had the ability to demonstrate what a nonsense railway accounting was, as laid down in the nineteenth century. As a result of his arguments it was possible to present the FR accounts, both for the Lands Tribunal hearing and ever since, in a more intelligent and less misleading form.
Also, if the account related by Doctor Peter Jarvis in his article, "The Smoke Dispersal Factor of Wayne"[1], is to be relied upon, the railway owes Francis another debt of gratitude in successfully negotiating an increase in the clearance above rail level for the replacement Rhiw Plas Bridge compared with its predecessor. Had the new bridge been built with the same clearance as the old one the height of FR vehicles would have been restricted to 8' 6" meaning that it would not have been able to operate carriages with corridor connections or with sufficient headroom to stand comfortably in them. The consequence of that would have been no on train buffet service as we know it today.
He retired to a his country estate of 5000 acres, including a large bay containing three islands, on the west coast of Sutherland.
Francis Wayne died in January 1991.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Peter Jarvis "The Smoke Dispersal Factor of Wayne", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine
- ^ "Obituary", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 132, page(s): 479