Builder Histories
Alfred Henry (Freddy) Cantrell – Chief Engineer – Southern Region British Rail
Although most references to A. H. Cantrell refer to his long career as Chief Engineer for the Southern Region of British Rail in the years following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, he seems to have quite a busy career before that.
An entry in the London Gazette on the 19th July 1945 recorded that Lt-Col. A.H. Cantrell B.Sc., A.M.Inst.C.E had served with the Corps of Royal Engineers.
In 1972 an entry on the website for the Movement Control Officers Club (http://www.movcon.org.uk/History/MCOC/Bulletins?bull_72.htm) reported that Cantrell had recently joined the club, having served ‘for many years’ in the Movements section of the Supplementary Reserve and the AER before the Second World War.
Most research references to A.H. Cantrell however arise from his role as Chief Engineer for the Southern Region in the 1950’s and 60’s. The British Film Industry National Library has a film presentation ‘Modernisation on the Southern Region of British Railways; - British Transport Films – commentator AH Cantrell’.
The Institute of Civil Engineers record that Cantrell was the Project Engineer for the reconstruction of Grosvenor (Victoria) rail bridge across the Thames. Faced with the problem of rebuilding a bridge that carried 8 railway lines on a busy comnuter route Cantrell and his team came up with the solution of building the new crossing as 8 distinct bridges built parallel to each other – thus allowing a phased rebuild that never took more than one track out of use at a time.
(HEW record no. 2253 http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com)
The ICE virtual library also records a list of articles and papers published by A. H. Cantrell
‘Some Major Problems in Railway Civil Engineering Maintenance’ ICE Proceedings; Engineering Divisions; Volume 2, Issue 1; Feb 1953; pages 106-127
‘Renewal of ballast and track by mechanical means in Polhill Tunnel’ journal of the ICE v31; iss 4; Feb 1949 pages 331-350
Informal Discussion; The Most Appropriate Training for a Railway Engineer’ 7/12/1961.
ICE Proceedings V22; iss 1; May 1962 pages 12-14
Discussion on Railway Paper No.65 – Site and Laboratory Work in connection with the Development of Long Welded Track on the Western Region of British Railways’
ICE Processings V7; Iss 2; June 1957 pages 364376
DISCUSSION ON PAPER NO. 6244: LONG WELDED RAILS IN FRANCE.
Authors: R LEVIBAE HILEYGDS ALLEYHH ROBINSONH CHANTERDL BARTLETTKH TREDINNICKK BRINSMEADAH CANTRELLAF BRUYNS HAYLETTHA WICKHAM
Source: ICE Proceedings, Volume 9, Issue 4, April 1958, pages 477 - 491
DISCUSSION. SOME ECONOMIC AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW RAILWAY LINES IN NORTHERN CANADA, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE GREAT SLAVE LAKE RAILWAY.
Authors: A V JOHNSTONA H CANTRELLD C ROBERTSONA N BUTLANDM G R SMITHJ E G PALMERR J E BROWN
Source: ICE Proceedings, Volume 32, Issue 1, September 1965, pages 135 - 147
DISCUSSION ON CONTINENTAL RAILWAY CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE
Authors: J G F INGLISM G R SMITHJ B MANSONA H TOMSH T HORSFIELDA G TICEHURSTM B MACRAER A H BURTONE C COOKSONA K TERRISA H CANTRELLR G THURTLE
Source: ICE Proceedings: Engineering Divisions, Volume 1, Issue 3, June 1952, pages 402 - 418
Born in 1903 in Lewisham Alfred Cantrell's granddaughter Ruth has confirmed that Mr Cantrell died in 1995 in Hastings.
