Beames was born in Corfe, near Taunton, Somerset in 1875, son of Indian Army Officer Pearson Thomas Beames (1839-1899), and nephew of
John Beames. Beames was educated at Corrig School, Kingstown, County Dublin, (now
Dún Laoghaire), at
Dover College, and
Crawley's Military Academy. He then became an apprentice under, and pupil of,
Francis William Webb at the
Crewe works of the
London and North Western Railway (LNWR). A keen
rugby union player, Beames played for
Lancashire on several occasions, and was invited to tour Canada with the
Irish national rugby union team, but was unable to go. Between January 1900 and May 1901, Beames served in the cavalry in
South Africa during the
Boer War. He then resumed work at Crewe. Between January 1902 and 1909, Beames was "Assistant to the Outdoor Superintendent, Crewe" who dealt with pumping, dredging and other dock machinery. From 1909 until the outbreak of the
First World War in 1914, Beames was personal assistant to the Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME)
Charles Bowen Cooke. On the outbreak of war, Beames joined the
Royal Engineers' Railway Company with the
British Expeditionary Force until he was recalled to Crewe to become "Chief Assistant and Works Manager, Crewe Works". Beames became Deputy CME in June 1919 and CME in November 1920. Beames only produced one new locomotive, the
LNWR 380 Class 0-8-4T for use in South Wales. He also reboilered the
LNWR Claughton Class locomotives. The LNWR merged with the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) in 1922 and the latter's CME,
George Hughes was made CME of the now expanded LNWR, with Beames as "Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Western Division". The LNWR was then grouped in 1923 into the
London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and Beames became "Mechanical Engineer, Crewe". Beames was overlooked in favour of the elderly Hughes for the top position of CME. In December 1930 Beames was made Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer, under
Ernest Lemon headquartered at
Derby. Lemon was quickly promoted and a new man
William Stanier brought in. Beames retired from the railway on 30 September 1934. He was then active in local politics and was appointed a
CBE by
George VI in the 1946 New Years Honours List for his services as Chairman of the Emergency Committee, County of Cheshire. == References ==