RAILWAY SERVICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23378, 21 June 1939, Page 15

RAILWAY SERVICE

AN HONOURABLE CAREER

MR. F. C. WIDDOP'S DEATH

FORMER CHIEF ENGINEER

[Br TELECRAFH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] WELLINGTON, Tuesday

The death has occurred of Mr. F. C. Widdop, aged 62, formerly chief engineer of New Zealand Railways. In addition to the administration of the civil engineering branch and general construction and maintenance of railway works, Mr. Widdop was responsible for the design and construction of a number of important buildings, wharves, workshops and station yards throughout the Dominion.

Mr. Widdop joined the service as a cadet in 1891 in the locomotive superintendent's oflice in Wellington. Tlie following year he was transferred to the chief engineer's oflice as civil engineering cadet. During the years 189.3-94 lie was in the resident engineer's office in Wanganui, and for the next two years lie was employed in the chief engineer's office in 'Wellington. From 1897 to 1903 Mr. Widdop was in the district engineer's offices at Wellington and Wanganui as assistant engineer and in 1901 he was appointed district engineer for the Wcstland district. The vear 1908 saw him transferred to a similar capacity in Wellington, which position he held until 1922, when he was promoted to be supervising engineer at the head office in Wellington. Ho was first appointed assistant chief engineer nnd then chief engineer in 1921. Mr. Widdop, who was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers and a member of the council of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, was sent abroad in J92G to study the working conditions of railways and engineering works in other countries. He visited Australia, South Africa. Europe, Great Britain and America. Mr. Widdop left the New Zealand 1? nil ways eight years i'go-