The world has sadly lost one of its ‘all time greats’.
British industrial designer, Sir Kenneth Grange, has died aged 95. Born in London in 1929, the Second World War dominated Sir Kenneth’s childhood, but armed with a unique talent for drawing, he went on to form his own design consultancy before co-founding the multi-disciplinary design firm Pentagram in 1972.
Kenneth was already a well-respected designer when he co-founded Pentagram, with a series of innovative product design projects under his belt. He had developed the Instamatic camera for Kodak, a range of trendy kitchen applicances for Kenwood, and much more besides.
But he was propelled into the world of transport when he worked on the ‘Blue Pullman’ diesel electric trains at the offices of Jack Howe & Partners, where he was absorbed with the crafts of livery and aerodynamics.
His experiences with the Blue Pullman proved to be somewhat prophetic. Grange began working for British Rail after being tasked initially with redesigning some seating – but fairly quickly became involved with the project to create a ‘High Speed Diesel Train’, or ‘HSDT’ as it was initially known in the early days of development.
The prototype power car for the new train was in production, and Grange was tasked with producing the livery that the prototype loco – 41001 – was to carry.
Later commissioned to design a livery for the groundbreaking ‘production’ high speed trains, Kenneth famously thought he could do better with the canvas he’d been handed to work on – and set about restyling the front of the power cars themselves.
The Journey Shrinker
And so the Inter-City 125 became – perhaps – Sir Kenneth’s most celebrated achievement.
Having redesigned the front of the prototype power car from a model supplied by BR, he reworked the interior layout and exterior design of the trains which went on to relaunch British Rail’s high speed rail routes – and captured the hearts and minds of the British public in the process. Inter-City 125 became known as ‘The Journey Shrinker’.
The HST’s stylish looks transformed British Rail’s fortunes in the 1970s and 1980s. Sir Kenneth’s blue, yellow and grey livery heralded a new dawn for the ‘125 era’, with intercity business and leisure travel now a realistic – and desirable – prospect for the travelling public for the first time. The ‘flying banana’ took British Rail’s reputation for dank, decrepit rolling stock in the late-’60s and early ’70s and swept it away, with a sustained series of marketing campaigns promoting the new trains and services throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Grange’s work on the aerodynamics in reshaping the nose cone was celebrated with a record-breaking speed run in 1987, where the HST set the world speed record for a diesel locomotive for travelling at a speed of 148mph – a record which it holds to this day.
British Rail’s efforts, and Sir Kenneth’s innovations, were officially recognised when the HST was awarded a prestigious Design Council award in 1978.
Streetwise
Sir Kenneth’s influence over the British travelling public didn’t stop with the railways.
Having revolutionised rail travel, Grange later worked on the replacement for London’s famous ‘Black Cab’, the Austin FX4. London Taxis International commissioned an updated version fit for the new millennium, the LTI TX1, which launched in 1997. With devilishly good looks, the TX1 was a masterclass in practical aerodynamics – with Sir Kenneth reportedly agonising over the placement and design of the signature bubble ‘TAXI’ marker for aerodynamics and maximum visibility.
And of course, Grange’s influence was felt all over London – not just with taxis, but with bus stops too – his designs were influential in London Transport and Adshel’s ‘Townplan 2000’ programme.
Sir Kenneth Grange’s masterpiece
But for all of Sir Kenneth Grange’s ideas and innovations, it’s his High Speed Train – the Inter-City 125 – which has captured the imagination of the British public like no other. The HST is well and truly, his masterpiece.
The first production HST power car, now numbered 43002, was fittingly repainted into its original livery and named ‘Sir Kenneth Grange’ by Great Western Railway and Angel Trains in 2016. It now resides in the National Railway Musueum’s collection in York, ensuring Sir Kenneth’s legacy will be preserved for generations to come.
Rest in peace.
Sir Kenneth Grange 1929-2024
