Thomas Ross Whitehead
Thomas Ross Whitehead (1868-1945)
1946 Obituary [1]
THOMAS ROSS WHITEHEAD was associated with the transport service of Coventry for thirty-seven years, both during its existence as a privately owned undertaking and after its acquisition by the Corporation in 1912.
He was born in 1868 and received his technical education at the Mechanics' Institute, Leeds. On the conclusion of a seven years' apprenticeship with Messrs. Hudswell, Clarke and Company, engineers, of Leeds, in 1889, he served at sea as marine engineer for two years. He then became chief engineer to the Roundhay (Leeds) Electric Tramways Company, but resigned this position in 1894 to take up the appointment of chief engineer of staff during the construction and initial operation of the first portion of the Bristol electric tramways.
In 1896 he began his long connection with Coventry and as resident engineer and manager for the Electric Tramways Company, planned and superintended the erection of a new generating station, and directed considerable extensions to the track. During his twenty-one years' tenure of the office of general manager and engineer to the Corporation transport, he had a varied experience and responsibility, including the maintenance of the entire system and also the construction of a new permanent way. In addition he was in charge of the financial side of the undertaking.
Mr. Whitehead retired in 1933 and lived at Scarborough, where his death occurred on 15th April 1945. He had been a Member of the Institution since 1902.