Sir Herbert Ashcombe Walker (16 May 1868 – 29 September 1949) was a British railway manager.

Early life

Walker was born in

Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...

, London, on 16 May 1868, the son of a doctor. He was educated at the North London Collegiate School and studied medicine for one year at St Francis Xavier College,

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

. He then passed the Apothecaries' Hall exam.

Career

Memorial plaque to Sir Herbert Walker at Waterloo Station

When family finances meant that plans for a medical career had to be abandoned, Walker, aged 17, joined the

London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway (LNWR, L&NWR) was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connec ...

(LNWR) as a clerk at Euston in April 1885. In January 1889 he became outdoor assistant to the Superintendent of the Line. In 1893 he was made Assistant District Superintendent, North Wales Division and 10 months later was moved to the same job in the Southern Division (covering London to

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...

); in 1902 he became District Superintendent Euston, when he visited the US to study American practice. In October 1909, he became Assistant to the Superintendent of the Line and in July 1910 Outdoor Goods Manager for the southern half of the LNWR. In 1911 he became Assistant to the General Manager, Sir Frank Ree. From 1 January 1912, he became General Manager of the London and South Western Railway, where he instigated the programme of third-rail electrification. He received a knighthood in March 1915. By January 1917, he was acting chairman of the Railway Executive Committee, for which he was made a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

(KCB). After a frustrating year of indecision on the part of the Southern Railway's Board, he was appointed General Manager there in 1923, where he encouraged the electrification programme and was a major influence on locomotive development on the Southern Railway. On his retirement in 1937, he served as a Director of the Southern Railway until the end of its existence in 1947. In addition to his two knighthoods, Walker was a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, Knight of Grace of the Order of Saint John and a Grand Officer of the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. He served in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, retiring as a Colonel.

Personal life

In 1894 Walker married Ethel Louisa Griffith. After her death in 1909, he married Lorina Elizabeth Shield in 1910. There were no children from either marriage. Walker died on 29 September 1949 at his home in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, North London.

Character

Walker was physically well made, having stamina and a commanding presence. He looked what he was, a man who knew his job and meant to do it and had a remarkable memory. There is a memorial to him, including a stone cameo portrait, set in the stonework at Waterloo station, commemorating his involvement in the rebuilding of the station, completed in 1922 and the electrification of the Southern Railway. He was a strong advocate of the Channel Tunnel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Herbert Ashcombe 1868 births 1949 deaths London and South Western Railway people Southern Railway (UK) people Knights Bachelor Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour British public transport executives