Proceedings 2002/2003 - IRSE

5
PETER STANLEY BSc CEng FIEE FIRSE
Peter was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, in 1942 and took an early interest
in music, studying the piano, trumpet and organ. At Marling Grammar School
he was introduced to engineering and became so fascinated by trains and
boats and planes that he decided to study engineering and chose an electrical
engineering course at Manchester University that covered computer engineering
and linear motors.
After graduating in 1964 he entered a two-year engineering graduate training
scheme with British Rail Western Region, followed by positions in the maintenance
and new works design offices, working on the resignalling of the Bristol
area.
In 1968 Peter was appointed to his first management position at Manchester,
dealing with electronic equipment in marshalling yards, remote control systems
and jointless track circuits. After several years’ further experience as Assistant
Divisional S&T Engineer Birmingham and Signal Maintenance Engineer for LM
Region, he took a year out of engineering in 1980 to become Consultancy
Services Manager, SR, dealing with cost reduction in the wider railway.
In 1981 Peter returned to Reading as Signal Engineer, Western Region, then
became heavily involved in the resignalling of the Exeter and Westbury areas.
In 1987 he was seconded to BR HQ to lead a small team developing an IT
strategy for the S&T function, then became Assistant Director Resources for the
S&T function in charge of financial planning, engineering training and materials.
In 1989 he was appointed as Assistant Director (Signalling) with responsibility
for all BR signalling design, development, standards and equipment approval.
When the rail privatisation process started in 1992, Peter was asked to take
on a wider management role that, in addition to signalling projects and maintenance
engineering covered much of the BR’s civil engineering manufacturing
workshops and fabrication depots, traction and rolling stock technical services
and vehicle assessment services, plus the position of MD of BR Telecommunications
Ltd.
From 1994 his responsibilities widened further as BR’s Managing Director
Business & Engineering Services, with responsibilities that included setting up
companies in preparation for the privatisation of research, computing, project
management, signalling projects, signalling technical support, trains engineering
and infrastructure testing and gauging services, whilst continuing to deliver
contracted services to the newly organised UK rail network.
At the end of 1996, with privatisation being almost complete, Peter left BR to
work as a consultant, firstly in the role of Project Director with Eurosig, the
consortium responsible for the specification and prototype trialling of the
ERTMS/ETCS system, and then as an engineering advisor to Virgin Trains and
LUL. He has also been a non-executive member of the Board of AEA
Technology Rail since 1997.
Peter Joined the IRSE as a student in 1964 and has served as chairman of
the Midland & North Western Section and for ten years as a member of the
Examination Committee. He was elected to Council in 1989 and has been a
member of the Institution’s International Technical Committee since its formation
in 1991.
He divides his spare time between playing with the East Woodhay Silver Band
in his home village, of which he has been a member for 24 years, occasional
organ playing (mainly for weddings) and travelling to and from Dartmouth where
he keeps a sailboat.
Peter met his wife Carol in the Students’ Union at Manchester University; they
were married in 1967 and have two children, James, who is an ambulance
technician in Devon, and Helen, who is a musician based in Bristol.