Andy Y Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Chris Leigh dropped me a message yesterday to say that he had heard that Andrew Dow, Head of the National Railway Museum from 1992-4 had recently passed away after a battle with cancer. Andrew Dow was the son of George Dow (the LNER's publicity map draughtsman and subsequently BR(E)'s publicity officer, becoming a LMR Divisional Manager) and is survived by his children, James and Alix. Andrew Dow was born into a railway family in 1943. He joined Bristol Siddeley as a Commercial apprentice in 1962, and after holding various internal positions in 1975 he became Chief Commercial Administrator for the Viper engine in the HS125 business jet, based in Millville, New Jersey. He was then appointed Commercial Manager for the Pegasus engine, based in Bristol, on the eve of the launch of the AV-8B Harrier II programme. He was thus deeply involved with the US Marine Corps and McDonnell Douglas, but he also dealt with the Spanish and Indian Navies on their Matador and Sea Harrier programmes. In 1991 he left aviation to become Head of the National Railway Museum, and in 1994 he joined the railway industry. He has written four books, three about railways and one, Pegasus: the Heart of the Harrier, about aviation, and published by Pen & Sword. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 10, 2015 The things one learns here. Having had regular meetings with Andrew and colleagues in 1994-6 during Rail Privatisation, I had no idea he was a newcomer. No doubt his background - his father's fame was considerable in enthusiast circles - meant he knew quite enough to fit in at once. I recall he was miffed with me when he attempted to seek Intellectual Property Rights for his bit of BR on certain innovations - and I had to point out that I had personally heard John Welsby, the Chairman, specifically exclude all IPR from sales. The ramifications of arguments among managers about who had invented what would still have been running today! I think Andrew was also a senior mover and shaker on Tornado? A sad loss on many levels, that is certain. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 Andrew Dow was also a vice president of the Great Central Railway Society, of which I'm a member, and contributed much to the society over the years. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 10, 2015 Andrew Dow was also a vice president of the Great Central Railway Society, of which I'm a member, and contributed much to the society over the years. Brit15 I think "Great Central" was one of his father's books? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 He produced an authoritative account of Norfolk & Western Coal cars. A wonderful book. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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