William McAlpine
| William McAlpine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 January 1936 |
| Died | 4 March 2018 |
| Official positions held: | |
| FR Trust | 1999 - 2008 |
| FR People | WHR People | |
Sir William Hepburn McAlpine, 6th Baronet (born 1936), great grandson of Sir Robert (Concrete Bob) McAlpine, was chairman of the Transport Trust, and also the Railway Heritage Trust, and patron of the Clan MacAlpine Society. He was a director of the family construction company, Sir Robert McAlpine. He inherited the baronetcy in 1990 on the death of Sir Robert McAlpine, 5th Baronet.
He was a railway enthusiast, and rescued the LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman, when its then owner Alan Pegler had problems in America. He maintained a private railway museum at his Buckinghamshire country estate, and an EWS Class 60 loco was named after him.
In September 2016 he unveiled a blue plaque in Bristol to record the 1951 Bristol Meeting. In his speech he mentioned the long connection of his family's company with the FR & WHR including construction of the Rhyd Ddu to Croesor Junction section of latter in 1923.
He played a key role in the construction of the FR Deviation from Llyn Ystradau to Tanygrisiau. The Central Electricity Generating Board required that the new line behind the power station be built by an accepted contractor. Bill asked the C.E.G.B. if McAlpines would be an acceptable company and they agreed. McAlpines supplied a site engineer, site foreman and took responsibility for all work done and McAlpines' signs went up.[1] The foreman supervised the volunteers, local firms and unemployed people working under a Manpower Services Commission scheme. This often unsung contribution was critical.
He was appointed a FR Trust trustee in 1999, serving until 2008, and took a keen interest in the rebuilding of the WHR.
There is an background article to be found here from an interview given mid 2006
Another older article, from 2004, on the family background appears here
He died on 4th March 2018 and Ffestiniog Railway Magazine printed an informative obituary.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Hollingsworth, Brian (1981). Ffestiniog Adventure:The Festiniog Railway's Deviation Project. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7956-9. OCLC 8709663. p127-129
- ^ "Obituary: Sir William McAlpine", Ffestiniog Railway Magazine, Issue 241, page(s): 37