John Sylvester Hughes
| John Sylvester Hughes | |
|---|---|
 1881 | |
| Born |
1845 Llanwrin |
| Died |
1915 Nevin |
| Employer | Festiniog Railway Company |
| Occupation | Manager and Engineer |
| Predecessor | Charles Easton Spooner |
| Successor | Frederick Vaughan |
| FR People | WHR People | |
John Sylvester Hughes was born in 1845 in Llanwrin. He started in the drawing office and on general surveying in 1864, working for Charles Easton Spooner. He assisted Spooner in his engineering projects from 1868 until 1873, when he partnered Spooner in the Engineering department and in Spooner & Co. In 1872 he laid out the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways, and in 1876 became its resident engineer [1] in 1876 in succession to Charles Edwin Spooner who had held that role until his departure to Ceylon. In 1887 he was made Festiniog Railway Company Secretary and on Spooner's death he was appointed FR Company Manager and Engineer with a salary of £300 per year - 1st October 1889[2]. He held these posts until his resignation in December 1907. His first task was to deal with the requirements of the 1889 Regulation of Railways Act which required block working, continuous brakes, points interlocked with signals and fares printed on tickets. His request to the Board of Trade for exemptions was largely refused.[3] He was replaced on 1st January 1908 by Frederick Vaughan (as Managing Director).
He died in Nevin, on 26th January 1915
Here is a copy of an interview he gave for the Railway Magazine in 1900, with much information on the railway by then.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ North Wales Chronicle 18 August 1877
- ^ Johnson, Peter (2017). Festiniog Railway: The Spooner Era and After 1830 - 1920. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-47382-728-8. OCLC 1003267038. p112
- ^ Johnson, Peter (2017). Festiniog Railway: The Spooner Era and After 1830 - 1920. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-47382-728-8. OCLC 1003267038. p114