Thomas Henry Sanders
Thomas Henry Sanders (1883-1943)
1943 Obituary [1]
THOMAS HENRY SANDERS, whose death occurred on 2nd January 1943, was for twenty years technical and works director of Messrs. Jonas Woodhead and Sons, Ltd., of Leeds, and was well known to a wide circle of engineers as an outstanding authority on the springing of rolling stock; his textbooks, "Laminated Springs"; "Springs and Suspension", and "Springs —A Miscellany", being regarded as standard works on the subject. In addition, his knowledge of railways and their working in all parts of the world was profound.
He was born in London in 1883, and received his general and technical education at the Polytechnic, Regent Street, from 1896 to 1902, which included a three years' course in engineering. In 1899 he entered the drawing office of the late Mr. George Cawley, M.I.Mech.E., consulting engineer to the Japanese Imperial Railways, and six years later was appointed inspecting engineer of material in this country, his responsibility in this connection being subsequently extended to inspections in Continental countries.
He relinquished this position in 1914 to become manager of the laminated spring shop at Messrs. Brown Bayley's works. He remained with that firm until 1917, when he accepted an appointment as works manager of Messrs. Owen and Dyson's wheel works, with a view to rebuilding the factory. After holding that position for three years he was appointed manager of the Farnley Spring Company, but in 1922 he went into business on his own account as a consulting engineer. A year later he began his long association with Messrs. Woodhead. He was also a director of Messrs. Ibbotson Brothers and Company, Ltd., and Messrs. Willford and Company, Ltd., of Leeds. He was also the holder of many patents having valuable practical applications ranging from springs to machine details.
Mr. Sanders was elected a Graduate of the Institution in 1907 and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1911, in which year he was awarded a Graduates' Prize for a paper on "The Commercial Testing of Railway Materials"; he was transferred to Membership in 1917.