Synopsis
For fifty years 'Wickham of Ware' was synonymous with sleek diesel railcars, exported to Latin America, Asia and Africa and for gang and maintenance trolleys - many of which are still in use today. The company closed in 1991 but the name Wickham lives on in many parts of the world, not least in the restorations of railway preservation societies.
A somewhat sanitised account of the final demise of Wickhams (which converted itself into a property company in the end and sold off the company's land rather than continuing the business - I actually now live on the site of what was one of their factories though!).Only four stars because it evades that inglorious demise of this once famous company, nevertheless this is certainly a book worth reading.The vision of the company's founders and its early directors is clear to see here - how many firms would move from making beer bottling machinery to railway trains and also branch out into building site equipment too (like bricklayers hoists) on the way? Wickhams did!Certailny a read I'd recommend to anyone interested in either business strategy or railways - or indeed both!
Rob Candlish
Have you read Wickham of Ware - the history of D. Wickham & Co. Ltd, Railcar Manufacturers by James Jnr Cooper, Loxley Ford? - Add your own review
