1948-1949: Harold Rudgard

Harold Rudgard (1884-1958)

President of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers

IMechE Obituary:

Lt.-Col. Harold Rudgard, O.B.E., T.D., the distinguished railway engineer, who died on 5th March 1958 in his seventy-fourth year, served as President of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in 1948-1949. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1913 and transferred to Member in 1945.

He received his education at the Grammar School, Burton-on-Trent, and Denstone College; he served his apprenticeship at the Midland Railway Locomotive Works, Derby, from 1900 to 1907, and also attended evening classes at Derby Technical College in 1902-1906.

From 1907 to 1911 he served as Assistant to District Locomotive Superintendent at Derby, subsequently becoming Superintendent at Skipton, Derby, and Plaistow, successively.

During the 1914-18 war he served with the Sherwood Foresters and Royal Engineers.

In 1919 he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Freight Trains, Midland Railway, Derby, subsequently becoming Assistant to the Motive Power Superintendent, London Midland and Scottish Railway, Derby. In 1932 he became Divisional Superintendent of Motive Power (Midland Division), Derby, and was appointed Assistant Divisional Superintendent of Operation, Derby, in 1935; he became Divisional Superintendent of Operation there in 1937.

In December 1942 he was appointed Superintendent of Motive Power, London, Midland and Scottish Railway (L.M.S.R.,) and in 1948 he joined the Railway Executive as Chief Officer (Motive Power).

ILE Obituary:

Lieut.-Col. Harold Rudgard, O.B.E., T.D., whose death occurred on 5th March 1958, was born in 1884 and received his early education at Burton Grammar School and Denstone College. His engineering training was obtained on the former Midland Railway when he was a pupil of the late Mr. S. W. Johnson, the Locomotive Superintendent. Whilst passing through the various shops at Derby locomotive works he attended Derby Technical College, and, after gaining some footplate experience, entered the drawing office. 

He served with distinction with the Royal Engineers in France during the First World War and attained the rank of Lt .-Colonel. 

In 1919 he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of freight trains, Midland Railway, Derby and on the grouping of the railways in 1923 he became Assistant to the Motive Power Superintendent, LMSR, at Derby. In 1932 he became Divisional Motive Power Superintendent (Midland Division) and in 1935 Divisional O.B.E. (past president) Superintendent of Operation, Derby. In 1942 he was appointed Superintendent of Motive Power, LMSR and in 1948 Chief Officer (Motive Power) following the setting up of the Railway Executive on the Nationalisation of the railways, a position which he held until his retirement
in 1950.

He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1931 and became a Member of Council in 1946. He was President of the Institution for the Session 1948-1949.

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