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He returned to the LNWR at Crewe, and, in 1920, became the "bricks and mortar assistant", with responsibility for the new erecting shop. When work on this was stopped, Riddles was placed in charge of a small production progress department and was sent to
Horwich to study the methods used by the
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in 1947, in preparation for the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, he was appointed Member of the
Railway Executive for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. He had two principal assistants, both of whom were also former LMS men:
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in 1909, completing his apprenticeship in 1913. While attending the
Mechanics Institute classes he took a course in electrical engineering, feeling there would be a future for electric traction. During the 1914–18
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In 1943, he moved to the post of Chief Stores
Superintendent at the LMS - it has been said that he was anxious to get back into the railway business. On the death of
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in May 1926, Riddles volunteered as a driver, taking trains from Crewe to
Manchester and Carlisle. The experience gained, made him almost unique among
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works at Derby, by now part of the LMS, to initiate a similar arrangement. In this task, he had the active support of the then Derby works manager,
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Riddles was born in 1892 in East
Preston in Worthing, Sussex. His father was a contractors' manager. He attended
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In 1933, Riddles moved to Euston to become
Locomotive Assistant to the new Chief Mechanical Engineer,
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111:, CBE, MIMechE, MinstLE (23 May 1892 – 18 June 1983) was a British locomotive design engineer.
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Riddles retired in 1953, on the abolition of the
Railway Executive, and became a director of
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448:. A Detailed History of British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives. Lincoln:
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474:"FEATURE: Robert Riddles, Britain's Last Steam Chief Mechanical Engineer"
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161:, thus, on completion of the work at Crewe, Riddles was sent to the ex-
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256:, Chief Officer (Locomotive Construction and Maintenance), and
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Gilbert, P.T.; Chancellor, P.J. (1994). Taylor, R.K. (ed.).
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Riddles was succeeded as Chief
Mechanical Engineer of BR by
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The London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) Encyclopedia
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mainly in France, during which time he was badly wounded.
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280:Locomotive designs introduced by Riddles include:
191:was at this time appointed as Stanier's Deputy.
505:The Last Steam Locomotive Engineer: R.A.Riddles
264:; they subsequently oversaw the design of the
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295:BR Standard Class 7 Britannia Class, 4-6-2
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231:in 1944, he applied for the position of
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300:BR Standard Class 6 Clan Class, 4-6-2
564:British Army personnel of World War I
203:having just started, he moved to the
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549:English railway mechanical engineers
507:. London: George Allen & Unwin.
209:Director of Transportation Equipment
159:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
97:Institution of Locomotive Engineers
93:Institution of Mechanical Engineers
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559:Locomotive builders and designers
126:St Andrew's High School, Worthing
134:London and North Western Railway
503:Rogers, Colonel H.C.B. (1970).
419:"Robert (Robin) Arthur Riddles"
1:
109:Robert Arthur "Robin" Riddles
285:BR Standard Class 9F, 2-10-0
16:British locomotive engineer
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340:BR Standard Class 2 2-6-2T
330:BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2T
320:BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T
310:BR Standard Class 4, 4-6-0
305:BR Standard Class 5, 4-6-0
290:BR Standard Class 8, 4-6-2
335:BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0
325:BR Standard Class 3 2-6-0
315:BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0
262:Chief Mechanical Engineer
247:Upon the creation of the
233:Chief Mechanical Engineer
211:, and later designed the
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534:R.A. Riddles at WorldCat
364:of Bath, Cranemakers.
235:, but the job went to
84:Locomotive Engineering
128:. Riddle entered the
172:During the nine-day
554:British Rail people
389:"Robert A. Riddles"
362:Stothert & Pitt
350:WD Austerity 2-10-0
217:WD Austerity 2-10-0
185:Sir William Stanier
145:he served with the
345:WD Austerity 2-8-0
276:Locomotive Designs
213:WD Austerity 2-8-0
205:Ministry of Supply
199:In 1939, with the
195:Ministry of Supply
138:premium apprentice
75:Engineering career
529:LNER encyclopedia
249:Railway Executive
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480:. 10 August 2018
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482:. Retrieved
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396:. Retrieved
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237:George Ivatt
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120:LNWR and LMS
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89:Institutions
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51:(1983-06-18)
49:18 June 1983
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574:1983 deaths
569:1892 births
369:Roland Bond
207:, becoming
167:H. G. Ivatt
130:Crewe Works
58:Nationality
41:23 May 1892
543:Categories
423:SteamIndex
398:26 October
375:References
356:Retirement
95:(member),
81:Discipline
66:Occupation
37:1892-05-23
258:E. S. Cox
143:Great War
115:Biography
69:Engineer
429:30 June
155:L&Y
132:of the
61:British
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484:17 May
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268:(BR)
136:as a
509:ISBN
486:2019
454:ISBN
450:RCTS
431:2009
400:2007
215:and
178:CMEs
46:Died
31:Born
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