Ken Hoole (1916–1988) was an English historian known for his works on the railways of the north east of England.
The ''Ken Hoole Study Centre'' at the
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
Head of Steam, formerly known as the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, is a railway museum located on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was the world's first steam-powered passenger railway. It is based inside the ...
, and the ''Ken Hoole Trust'' are named after him.
Biography
Ken Hoole was born in
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
in 1916. A railway interest was kindled by daily journeys by train to school in
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south- ...
from his home in
Bridlington
Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 ...
,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
.
He served in radio security during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. In civilian life his interest led to him becoming a full-time writer on railway history, eventually authoring over 40 books.
He was a founder of the North Eastern Railway Association (NERA),
and of the Scarborough Railway Society. Latterly, Hoole lived at
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 and 230 feet (3–70 m) abov ...
. He died on 27 December 1988.
Works and legacy
Ken Hoole published over forty books as well as numerous magazine articles.
The study centre, ''The Ken Hoole Study Centre'', opened 1992, at the
Darlington Railway Centre and Museum
Head of Steam, formerly known as the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, is a railway museum located on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was the world's first steam-powered passenger railway. It is based inside the ...
(now
Head of Steam museum) in
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underw ...
, inheriting its core collection from a bequeathal from Ken Hoole's archive, as well as including the library of the NERA.
The Ken Hoole trust, established in his memory, helps fund projects relating to railway history and heritage.
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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).
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See also
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Willie Yeadon
Willie Brayshaw Yeadon (28 June 1907 – 16 January 1997), was a British railway historian known for his ''magnum opus'', ''Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives'' and other works.
Biography
Willie Yeadon was born in Yeadon, West Riding of York ...
, railway historian known for accounts of LNER locomotives
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoole, Ken
People from Doncaster
1916 births
1988 deaths
Rail transport writers
20th-century English historians