Adrian Shooter, old school railway manager - Rest In Peace

['CHARD]

Bit of a tough one to write, this.  Adrian Shooter, former MD of Chiltern Railways, and credited with that route's sensational turn-round and renaissance, amongst other great achievements in a long and illustrious career spanning over 50 years since 1970, died peacefully yesterday at a Swiss Clinic, aged 74.  He had been suffering from motor neurone disease.  

 

One of the greats. 

 

Rest in peace.  

[Robert Shrives]

A great gent in many ways  along with above had a love of 2 foot gauge steam and was active on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways, so much so he had his own 2 foot gauge "garden railway" with DHR loco and a lovely saloon coach for high days and holidays .  When time allowed he helped in the parks and gardens department on the FR and we worked together.  Quiet but powerful force of good and a good leader of people.    A loss to many and as often happens taken too early. 

 

Robert 

[big jim]

Posted this in the via rail thread but I’ll add it here as it’s more appropriate…. 

 

I’m genuinely quite teary hearing about mr shooter, an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to work for whilst at chiltern, always had time for a chat 

 

had the pleasure of going to his final staff funday at his house in the heyfords and riding his Darjeeling inspired garden railway with him at the helm, an impressive set up!

 

 

always insisted meeting new joiners to chiltern face to face, I didnt get to meet him for a few months as he was away on the continent doing a rally in his vintage car, an MG iirc 

 

he and Michael portillo met me on the platform at Marylebone when I arrived in from moor st with the first chiltern ‘express service’ on the first day of the service after the evergreen 2 upgrades back in 2011(?) thanked me for doing my best to get it there on time despite arriving 2 minutes late!
 

Will be missed, a lot of people says he was one of the last proper ‘Railwaymen’ 

[ikks]

Didn't know him but he sounds like a lovely gent...........love one of those on my  property  RIP Mr Shooter.

Mike

[Mike_Walker]

I had the pleasure of meeting Adrian on many occasions both professionally and socially and he really was one of the finest you could wish to meet.  A superb manager who was genuinely respected by his staff who would always be prepared to go the extra mile for him - something that is sadly no longer the case at Arriva controlled Chiltern.  He will be greatly missed across both the national industry and the heritage sector.  At the recent naming ceremony of 168001, his last public appearance I think, one of the Chiltern drivers called out: "this man is a legend" which pretty much sums up how he was thought of.

 

My thoughts are with Barbara and his family.

 

RIP, Adrian.

['CHARD]

During the bidding process for the (present) Northern franchise, I hosted the new trains presentation on behalf of Abellio, which Adrian Shooter led for Vivarail, with their D78 stock proposed as Pacer replacements.  This was precisely during the short phase where the Secretary of State was being lobbied, successfully as it turned out, to disqualify refurbished trains from the fleet strategies of bidders. 

 

Despite surely knowing that the odds were stacked against 78-stock in such a fashion (AS was always very well informed and well-connected), the Vivarail pitch was that of a consummate professional, delivered with surefooted engineering pragmatism and reassurance. The entire life cost was explained in detail, with a full range of commercial options and alternatives. I'd seen him at work before, but never in his element in this way, truly invested in the proposition, with the infectious enthusiasm of a  visionary engineer.  Looking back now, he would have been past conventional retirement age at that point, but you'd not have known it!

 

In later years I supplied a number of engineers who were embedded in the Vivarail operation at Long Marston; feedback off these guys was always glowing, AS was 100% personally invested in his team, always willing to listen, challenge and be challenged.  He was never too busy to spend sufficient effort getting the detail right, down at shop floor level.  Big Jim's observations above ring very true. 

 

It feels like a substantial chunk of the 'old' railway's can-do values have passed with him.  

[Northmoor]

I briefly met Mr Shooter about 20 years ago when my employer was trying to bring its research expertise to the rail market.  A colleague and I presented to a group Adrian Shooter was chairing, which included representatives of other companies already established in the field and who probably weren't happy at the thought of sharing the pie.

Looking back, we were under-prepared and out of our depth (our employer really didn't understand industries outside defence) but I clearly remember being treated with absolute courtesy by Adrian Shooter.

A very sad loss to the rail industry as well as his family.

[exet1095]

Adrian was a great railwayman and a charming neighbour. May he rest in peace. 

[john new]

He will be much missed after his work as a professional in the industry and also as a genuinely keen railway enthusiast. As just one example his Beeches Light Railway was inspirational. As a Vice President of the SLS his passing also leaves us with a hole that will be hard to fill. RIP Adrian and thanks for what you achieved.

[Southernman46]

Oh no, genuinely saddened by this news 😪 - as said above he was quite simply one of the best Railwaymen of "recent" times.

 

At Bricklayers Arms CRD as a 17 y.o. Apprentice whilst surrounded by the bits of a 12t Plasser crane engine I was dismantling for servicing, Mr Shooter appeared on a visit being the "SR Works and Equipment Engineer" ISTR at the time and I received an extremely knowledgeable grilling on what did what and why ? Left the very distinct impression that this indeed was a man to be reckoned with 👍

 

Had the greatest respect for him and his achievements ever since.

 

R.I.P. Sir

[banburysaint]

The celebration of Adrian's life was held on Saturday 7th January at Fawley Hill Railway. 

 

If you would like to donate in his memory to the Motor Neurone Disease Association this can be done here https://adrianshooter.muchloved.com/

 

If you want to watch the service this is available at 

https://www.funeralstream.tv/shooter

Edited January 8, 2023 by banburysaint

[St Enodoc]

22 minutes ago, banburysaint said:

The celebration of Adrian's life was held on Saturday 7th January at Fawley Hill Railway. 

 

If you would like to donate in his memory to the Motor Neurone Disease Association this can be done here https://adrianshooter.muchloved.com/

 

If you want to watch the service this is available at 

https://www.funeralstream.tv/shooter

Thanks. Would you be able to post a PDF of the full celebration booklet please?

[banburysaint]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Thanks. Would you be able to post a PDF of the full celebration booklet please?

No problem. Pdf added. It is also on the page the service link will take you to. 

Adrian Shooter CBE OOS.pdf

[rob D2]

Seemed like a top guy ,

RIP

[30368]

On 08/01/2023 at 09:42, banburysaint said:

The celebration of Adrian's life was held on Saturday 7th January at Fawley Hill Railway. 

 

Many thanks for posting this - as a contemporary of mine and a man I knew and worked with I found the service so very moving. Adrian was a truly great railwayman in an almost 19th Century way. He surmounted so many challenges to create a rejuvinated railway where only decline was expected. It will be his memorial.

 

I am over 6ft, Adrian was one of the few railwaymen that I looked up to in many ways...

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[AMJ]

Had a couple of visits to Beeches and on the last occasion had travelled down in the Bentley that I owned at the ime.  Parking was arranged in the paddock.

Met and him a few times and on my first holiday to India he was on the same trip.  At one airport I spotted him in the queue so joined the same one and I had not realised that it was the business class queue and the airline upgraded me!

 

[C126]

I can not see anything elsewhere on RMWeb, so thought I would post a couple of photographs of the late Adrian Shooter's memorial at Marylebone station.  Sorry for the quality; do add better shots as available.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bucoops]

9 hours ago, C126 said:

I can not see anything elsewhere on RMWeb, so thought I would post a couple of photographs of the late Adrian Shooter's memorial at Marylebone station.  Sorry for the quality; do add better shots as available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful.

[charliepetty]

He was a good guy, shame he is not here to 'Advise' the Marston vale Line operators.

[C126]

Just a quick note to alert those interested of the auction of his estate:

 

https://www.hjpugh.com/catalogue/15f99588d598e2b15425039c1d5224cf/1c3c2c7a814e240ee7e8f414f2bd69cf/the-beeches-light-railway-dispersal-sale-of-the-late-well-re/sale-details/

 

Hope of interest.  Do re-post under another heading if wished.

 

Link to on-line catalogue:

 

https://www.hjpugh.com/catalogue/15f99588d598e2b15425039c1d5224cf/1c3c2c7a814e240ee7e8f414f2bd69cf/the-beeches-light-railway-dispersal-sale-of-the-late-well-re/?maxResults=120

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by C126
Added link to catalogue.