Holman Fred Stephens
| Holman Fred Stephens | |
|---|---|
 The Colonel about 1923 | |
| Born | 1868 |
| Died | 1931 |
| Employer | Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railways |
| Occupation | Manager and engineer |
| Predecessor | Eric H. R. Nicholls |
| Successor | Evan R. Davies |
| Wikipedia entry | Holman Fred Stephens |
| Official positions held: | |
| FR Co. Chairman | 01.1925 - 10.1931 |
| FR Co. Exec |
01.1925 - 10.1931 G.Manager 05.1925 - 10.1931 Loco Supt. 04.1923 - 10.1931 Engineer |
| FR Co. Director | 1924 - 10.1931 |
| FR People | WHR People | |
Lt. Colonel Holman Fred Stephens (31.10.1868-23.10.1931) of the Royal Engineers.
Holman Stephens was a well established engineer and manager of light Railways who had already been instrumental in influencing the legislation that enabled the railway to maintain its independence after "The Grouping" of the main railways. He was recruited by Henry Joseph Jack to help establish the new combined undertaking of the Welsh Highland and Festiniog Railways and progressively took over the management of the lines as Jack's regime failed.
Although used to dealing with railways that were short of capital, the poor state that the FR had drifted into, combined with old established work practices and an under-resourced Welsh Highland, left him with an uphill task in dealing with the massive increase in road competition during the 1920s. Adept at cost control and building tourism traffic, he was however able to ensure that the railway survived a critical period.
See also[edit]
- Personalities
- Directors, Festiniog Railway Company
- Snowdon Mountain Railway
- General Managers, Festiniog Railway Company
References[edit]
- Boyd, James I.C. (1975) [1959]. The Festiniog Railway 1800 - 1974; Vol. 1 - History and Route. Blandford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-8536-1167-X. OCLC 2074549.
- An online tribute website
- An online tribute website