Meet A Railway Luminary, No. 1: Sam Fay

I have written in numerous places on my main Turnip Rail blog about Sam Fay (here, here and here). Fay was a clerk on the London and South Western Railway between in the 1872 and 1892, moved to be General Manager of the Midland and South West Junction Railway between 1892 and 1898, after winch he returned to the L&SWR to become its Superintendent of the Line between 1899 and 1901. He was then head-hunted to become General Manager of the Great Central Railway. Indeed, Fay was a luminary of the railway world in the 1900s, and eventually served as deputy on the Railway Executive Committee between 1914 and 1919, organising Britain's Railways for war. Indeed, he became 'Director of Movement' at the War Office in 1917, and in March 1918 became Director-General of Movements and Railways. The reason that I have talked about Fay so much, is that I have, from his grandson Bill, a copy of his diary between 1878 and 1881 when he was serving at Kingston-upon-Thames station. So, I just thought I would put up an image of him from 1880s that I have

From the Diary:

"Tuesday 19 March 1878– Mr Osborne [Clerk] had a go in with Mr Pettit [Station Master] as to an increase of screw, which he (Mr. P.) did not think he would get, he also stated that no alteration if clerks was necessary but that Mr O. would go and relieve Roach at Hampton Wick on Wednesday afternoons also every other Sunday; Mr O. thinks he will go in for a shift or see Mr Scott [General Manager], for my own benefit. I should of course like him to go, but should not care for his job as it stands now, however it will no doubt be ruled for the best."