A former Mayor of Westbury who helped bring heavy engineering education to Wiltshire and played a key role in introducing diesel hydraulic trains to the UK has been praised for his years of dedication to the county’s railways.
Horace Prickett has been recognised by TransWilts, a community rail partnership, for his contribution throughout a long-standing career in engineering and education that has shaped railways in the region.
Horace entered the world of work in 1956 as a 15-year-old apprentice and, until recently, was a director of TransWilts.
“Ever since I had my own clockwork railway at the age of 11, I was interested in railways and transport, and as a youngster I would spend a lot of time noting down train numbers and talking to the officers at Edington station,” said Horace. “At 15 I started an apprenticeship as a locomotive fitter, turner and erector, and learnt how to build and repair railway engines from scratch – and I think this was the best thing to happen to me.
“I was stationed in the Westbury depot but also travelled around the country to learn an awful lot, as well as spending a year in Swindon where I helped to build the last two steam locomotives. I saw the replacement of steam with diesel, as well as the introduction of diesel hydraulics, which at the time were only used in Germany and the UK.”
When government cuts to the railways in the early 1960s meant highly skilled engineers had to find other jobs, Horace secured the opportunity to pass on his knowledge to generations of Wiltshire engineers by setting up the heavy engineering department at Trowbridge College.
“We had 12 weeks to get a technical college set up,” said Horace. “Teaching was a new field, but what we were teaching was what I had trained in, and I was doing what I had enjoyed on the railways.”
Horace served as a parish and town councillor, as well as Mayor of Westbury. He was also appointed Wiltshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Transport, working closely with TransWilts for a number of years. In 2017, he formally became a director.
Sophie Martin, Community Partnership Manager at TransWilts, said, “Horace’s contribution to TransWilts, as well as to engineering and the railways in our region, is an amazing achievement across a lifetime.
“Horace was instrumental in spearheading a number of community initiatives over the years in previous roles, many of which continue today, including our days out to the beach where we take members of our community who may otherwise find it difficult to enjoy such a day out.”
Since its inception, TransWilts has brought about improvements to services in its area, improved timetables and supported the local community, in particular by continuing to promote rail travel and giving people who might not otherwise have the chance the opportunity to experience it.
To find out more, visit www.transwilts.org
Pictured l-r: Trans-Wilts Chair Paddy Bradley, Horace Prickett, and TransWilts Community Partnership Manager Sophie Martin
