Thomas Edward Barnes
Thomas Edward Barnes (1879-1947)
1948 Obituary [1]
"THOMAS EDWARD BARNES, whose death occurred on 31st August 1947, had considerable experience of road transport both in this country and Australia, where he spent the greater part of his professional career.
He was born in 1879, and received his education at the Shipley Technical School and at Sheffield Technical College. On the conclusion of a four years' apprenticeship with Messrs. Lister and Company, Ltd., of Leeds, in 1899, he gained experience as a junior draughtsman for a brief period with the Champion Friction Clutch Company, Ltd., of Sheffield, and was then employed in the engineer's office of the Thorncliffe Collieries for two years. His next appointment was on the designing staff of the Sheffield Corporation tramways department, which he relinquished in 1906 to become engineering technical assistant in the same department of the London County Council.
In 1913 he began his career in Australia as chief engineer of a power station at Sydney. Two years later he was appointed assistant works manager in the tramways department of the New South Wales Government, and subsequently was promoted to be works manager. After acting as superintendent of the locomotive workshops of the N.S.W. Government Railways, from 1927 to 1933, in which capacity he was responsible for the design of new shops, he became advisory engineer to the N.S.W. Commissioner for road transport and railways. From 1936 until his return to England three years later he held the position of omnibus superintendent to the Melbourne and Metropolitan tramways board. During the 1939-45 war he was engaged on inspection duties for the N.S.W. Government Advisory and Inspecting Engineer. Mr. Barnes was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1911."