Obituary: Adrian Shooter
The former boss of Chiltern Railways and founder of Vivarail, Adrian Shooter CBE, died on December 13 aged 74 after a battle with motor neurone disease.
WHERE do you start when looking back at Adrian Shooter’s railway career? He joined BR as a management trainee in
1970 aged 22, spending time in engineering roles at depots around the country, followed by a spell as area manager at London St Pancras, and being involved in setting up Red Star Parcels and Rail Express Systems.
After Privatisation in the mid-1990s, he became the first managing director of Chiltern Railways, then in 2012 founded Vivarail to rebuild redundant London Underground ‘D78’ Stock trains as DMUs and EMUs.
Away from the main line, he was elected to the Ffestiniog Railway Society’s board in 1971; and at 23 he was the society’s youngest director. In 1979, he became the FRS’s managing director, a position he held until his resignation in 1981. Additionally, he was president of the UK-based Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society.
Global reach
Twenty years ago Adrian created the Beeches Light Railway in the garden of his house near Aynho (Banbury), replicating the DHR with his Sharp Stewart 0-4-0ST, 1889-built B Class No. 3518. This was built at Glasgow Atlas Works for the DHR, and still had its original boiler. Operating this two 2ft-gauge garden railway from the station called Rinkingpong Road raised thousands of pounds for charities.
Adrian and Barbara took in a Ukrainian war refugee. Barbara often spent time abroad fundraising for charities, and has been in Ukraine a lot since the invasion. They also both took part in vintage car rallies using several of their highly collectable vehicles, crossing most continents. On one occasion Adrian changed a gearbox in just seven hours in the desert.
Just weeks before his death, he was in India advising the Indian Government on how to improve its mountain railways by conserving them and not to just cash in on them.
His last visit to the DHR was in March 2022, helping to negotiate the loan of another DHR locomotive in the Delhi museum to restore it to working order in England. He had the contacts and clout to make it happen.
Adrian and Barbara made numerous visits to India, acting as managers for Darjeeling Tours, and Adrian’s professionalism as an engineer created a strong bond with the most senior people at Indian Railways, as well as on the railway itself.
Together with specialists from the DHRS, Adrian also visited the Darjeeling area offering advice on various engineering matters, and his influence at high levels of Indian Railways has ensured the team’s advice was listened to. His last visit to India in this role was in November 2022.
Making things happen
The various books he authored detailing his career describe much of his professional expertise, but he did so much more behind the scenes for main line steam and heritage railways.
He led Vintage Trains when it became a licensed train operator; was chairman of consultancy
SLC Rail, and became president of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway (C&PRR) after the death of Sir William McAlpine, plus vice-president at the Buckinghamshire Rail Centre.
He was scathing about the last few governments and wrote in his 2021 book about Chiltern Railways: “Privatisation happened at all because of political dogma in part of the Conservative Party. As a lifelong member of that party, I have no hesitation in saying that, for the most part, those who advocated Privatisation had thought no further than ‘public sector bad, private sector good’.”
On July 3, 2010 the C&PRR was connected to the national network for 48 hours to celebrate the centenary of the Chiltern line, with GWR 0-6-0PT
No. 9600 running from Banbury to through to Chinnor. Adrian managed to pull more strings to get that connection installed than can ever be imagined.
He was instrumental in reinstating this connection in Autumn 2013 when, for three weekends that October, Chiltern Railways operated services to/from Aylesbury, Princes Risborough and Chinnor using a variety of stock.
Breaking the laws of physics
Adrian’s constant challenging of authority later extended to the perceived laws of physics. Vivarail’s former technical manager Julian Fletcher wrote: “Adrian would regularly challenge the engineering team to look into ideas that, on the face of it, appeared to be beyond the laws of physics. “It was hard to tell if he was several steps ahead of us, or had become so used to his sheer force of ambition enabling the impossible to be achieved that it was a given. “Either way, and perhaps due to his combination of drive, charm and absolute belief that the engineering team would deliver, we found ourselves coming up with solutions which worked. “Adrian’s most useful skill was his ability to analyse complex situations, prioritise the areas that needed attention, and suggest solutions. The wise listened and acted on his advice. “And perhaps this is how we should remember Adrian, someone who challenged governments, succeeded in changing the railways and will be genuinely missed as a friend and colleague.”