1963: Roland Curling Bond

Roland Curling Bond (1903-1980)

78th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Bond was born in Ipswich, England in 1903.

He attended Tonbridge School and was then taken on as an engineering apprentice at the Midland Railway’s Derby Locomotive Works. After his apprenticeship, he spent some time in charge of the inspection of locomotives constructed for the London, Midland and Scottish Railways by private manufacturers.

From 1928 to 1931 he was an Assistant Works Manager at the Vulcan Foundry Locomotive Works. During this time, he went to India to supervise the construction of electric locomotives for the Great Indian Peninsular Railway’s main line electrification.

In 1931, he returned to the London, Midland and Scottish Railways as Assistant Works Manager of the Locomotive Works, Horwich. Eighteen months later he was appointed Assistant Works Manager of the Crewe Locomotive Works. In 1937 the building of a Locomotive Testing Centre by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the London and North Eastern Railway was authorized, and Bond was appointed Superintending Engineer, responsible jointly to Sir William Stanier and Sir Nigel Gresley for its design and construction.

On the outbreak of the Second World War, Bond was appointed Acting Mechanical and Electrical Engineer for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, Scotland. He became Works Manager at Crewe Locomotive Works in 1941 and was responsible for converting some of the works to produce tanks and other war materials.

Following the nationalization of the railways in 1948, Bond was appointed Chief Officer (Locomotive Construction and Maintenance) at Railway Executive headquarters, subsequently becoming Chief Mechanical Engineer, British Railways Central Staff. He was promoted in 1958 to Technical Advisor to the British Transport Commission. He retired ten years later.

Bond died in 1980.

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