Richard Beeching

**Richard Beeching**, more commonly known as **Dr Beeching**, was a physicist and engineer who for a short but very notable time was chairman of British Railways. He became a household name in Britain in the early 1960s for his report *The Reshaping of British Railways*, commonly referred to as "The Beeching Report", which led to far-reaching changes in the railway network, popularly known as "the Beeching Axe".

As a result of the report, just over 4,000 route miles (6,400 kilometres) were removed from the system on cost and efficiency grounds, leaving Britain with 13,721 miles (22,082 km) of railway lines in 1966. A further 2,000 miles (3,200 km) were lost by the end of the 1960s, while other lines were reduced to freight use only.

## Biography

### In *The Stories of Sodor*

Doctor Richard Beeching was appointed Chairman of British Railways in 1962, at a time when the company was in hot water. To solve the various problems plaguing the company, he implemented massive layoffs and closures. Dr. Beeching then visited Sodor to oversee the organisation. On the main line, the yards of Carldon and Crosby were shut down, as well as Lower Knapford's and the Oil Depot, and then Elsbridge Harbour and other small goods stations before Beeching shifted to the branch lines, which made the engines worried because the doctor knew well that branch lines were the main losses for British Railways. The Waterton Branch, which was still under construction, had its plans for goods services streamlined, with completed yards and depots going unused, much to Duck, Toby and Whiff's disappointment..

He then went to the Peel Godred Branch, saying that the branch hasn't made any profits in the past four years, assuming mismanagement or incompetence and brings up the Jonny Cuba incident, but Sir Topham Hatt reminds him that Head Office would have known of his presence before them. Sir Topham that tells Dr. Beeching that the report he was given was wrong and gives him another report that is more accurate. Dr. Beeching decides to check, and if it is, he announces that all goods traffic will be kept intact, but Abbey station has to be closed, which Sir Topham agrees with. Arthur demands an apology for their supposed incompetence, to which Dr. Beeching says he will once he assumes they aren't at fault. Arthur then yells at Dr. Beeching, which makes Sir Topham sternly tell him that he will talk to him later, before he and the doctor leave. Next, Dr. Beeching visits Brendam Docks where he meets Edward. Dr. Beeching remembers working in the Ministry of Supply during the war and had heard of Edward's exploits and they have an argument about it.

Dr. Beeching and Sir Topham Hatt then went to the Ffarquhar Branch where they wideness it's engines handling the large rock crusher the dip and after passing through it slowly and carefully. That night, Sir Topham Hatt praises their efforts, and Dr. Beeching commented on the branch line's scenery, as well as the lack of attitude. While every goods and passenger station was closed, Sir Topham was able to convince Dr. Beeching to reclass the Ffarquhar Branch as an industrial line. When he and Dr. Beeching had a meeting in his office, on his desk was the Railway Series book, Branch Line Engines. He had asked Dr. Beeching that now Thomas is the poster boy for the Railway Series, how it would have played out if he had closed Thomas' Branch Line. Sir Topham also says that the tourist trains will also stay intact, with only one engine at a time assisting on the Waterton Branch, due to the Ffarquhar Branch being busier. This was one of the decisions made by the doctor that was universally praised.

Once Dr. Beeching left Sodor, he went to Barrow-in-Furness, where he threatened the axe to a third of the workers in the yard and station, resulting in all the workers going on strike. However, the shipping and ferry industries could easily cover the work for the railway.

## Trivia

* In Stories of Sodor, he reused the same model as Otto G Grubb from T1E2H3’s Engines of Sodor series.
* In the series, it's revealed Dr. Beeching is following Sir Topham Hatt's example back before he was Chairman of the Railway Board where he was assigned to administer an underperforming region of the LNER and Head Office wanted him to turn things around as quickly as possible, and by cutting facilities, service and jobs.

## Appearances

### The Stories of Sodor

#### Season 4

* Relationships *(cameo)*
* Beeching
* Dieselisation *(does not speak)*

#### Season 5

* Competition *(does not speak)*
* Training *(mentioned)*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard\_Beeching