Ken Hoole was born in Doncaster in 1916. A railway interest was kindled by daily journeys by train to school in Kingston upon Hull from his home in Bridlington, Yorkshire.[1][2] He served in radio security during the Second World War. In civilian life his interest led to him becoming a full-time writer on railway history, eventually authoring over 40 books.[3]
He was a founder of the North Eastern Railway Association (NERA),[1] and of the Scarborough Railway Society.[4] Latterly, Hoole lived at Scarborough, North Yorkshire. He died on 27 December 1988.[5]
Works and legacy
Ken Hoole published over forty books as well as numerous magazine articles.[6]
The study centre, The Ken Hoole Study Centre, opened 1992, at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum (now Head of Steam museum) in Darlington, inheriting its core collection from a bequeathal from Ken Hoole's archive, as well as including the library of the NERA.[6][7] The Ken Hoole trust, established in his memory, helps fund projects relating to railway history and heritage.[8]
Published works
In addition to his own works, he also wrote forewords for, corrected and updated reprints of several historic works including William Weaver Tomlinson's North Eastern Railway, G.G. MacTurk's A history of the Hull railways, and George David Parker's The Hull and Barnsley Railway. He also edited the first volume of the two volume The Hull and Barnsley Railway (1972).
Ken Hoole (1965). A regional history of the railways of Great Britain. Vol 4, The North East (1 ed.). David and Charles., 2nd edition 1974, 3rd edition 1986
— (1965). The North-Eastern Atlantics. Roundhouse Books.
— (1965). North East England (1 ed.). David and Charles, Macdonald and Co., 3 editions, 2nd 1968, 3rd 1973
— (1967). North Road locomotive works, Darlington, 1863–1966. Roundhouse Books.
— (1969). Railway history in pictures : north-east England. David and Charles.
— (1969). North Eastern Railway buses, lorries &autocars. Midd Valley Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd.
— (1969). North Eastern Railway: diagrams of snow ploughs. Nidd Valley Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd for the North Eastern Railway Association. ISBN095002953X.
— (1969). North Eastern Railway locomotive stock as at 31.12.20. Nidd Valley Narrow Gauge Railways.
— (1971). Railways in Cleveland. Dalesman. ISBN0852061315.
— (1972). North Eastern locomotive sheds. David and Charles. ISBN0715353233.
— (1973). The Stainmore railway. Dalesman. ISBN0852062028.
— (1985). North-eastern branch line termini. Oxford Publishing. ISBN0860932192.
— (1985). Railways in the Yorkshire Dales : a pictorial history. Dalesman. ISBN0852068263.
— (1985). Railways of East Durham : a pictorial history. Dalesman.
— (1985). Railway stations of the North East. David and Charles. ISBN0715385275.
— (1985). Railway stations of the North East. David and Charles. ISBN0715385275.
— (1986). Rail centres : Newcastle. Ian Allan. ISBN1901945189.
— (1987). The North Eastern electrics : the history of the Tyneside electric passenger services (1904–1967). Oakwood Press. ISBN0853613583.
— (1988). The electric locomotives of the North Eastern Railway. Oakwood Press. ISBN0853613672.
— (1988). An illustrated history of North Eastern Railway locomotives. Haynes. ISBN0860933237.
— (1993). The Illustrated History of East Coast Joint Stock. ISBN0860934306.
As co-author
Cook, R.A.; Hoole, Ken (1975). North Eastern Railway historical maps. Railway and Canal Historical Society. ISBN0901461105.
Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19, Lincoln: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-73-8
Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Russell, O.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1979), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 3A: Tender Engines—Classes C1 to C11, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-45-2
Fry, E.V.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W.B. (August 1981). Fry, E.V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 3C: Tender Engines – Classes D13 to D24. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN0-901115-52-5.
Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Neve, E.; Yeadon, W. B. (September 1984), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 6C: Tender Engines—Classes Q1 to Y10, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-55-X
Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9A: Tank Engines—Classes L1 to N19, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-40-1
Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (June 1977), Fry, E. V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 9B: Tank Engines—Classes Q1 to Z5, Kenilworth: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-41-X
Boddy, M.G.; Fry, E.V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Yeadon, W.B. (November 1988). Fry, E.V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 10A: Departmental Stock, Locomotive Sheds, Boiler and Tender Numbering. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN0-901115-65-7.
Boddy, M.G.; Fry, E.V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Mallaband, Peter; Neve, E.; Price, J.H.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W.B. (April 1990), Fry, E.V. (ed.), Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 10B: Railcars and Electric Stock, Lincoln: RCTS, ISBN0-901115-66-5
See also
Willie Yeadon, railway historian known for accounts of LNER locomotives
NER Milepost York Station, NERA, retrieved 10 June 2012, The Railway Heritage Trust has made a major contribution to the cost of the replica Zero Post and plaque. The Ken Hoole Trust, in memory of the late Ken Hoole, the distinguished authority on matters relating to the North Eastern Railway, has also made a significant contribution
