In message , at 09:51:40 on
Tue, 9 Mar 2021, Trolleybus remarked:
On Tue, 9 Mar 2021 08:37:02 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

Wiki suggests the Fat Director was used for a couple of books. The web
is scattered with references to the Fat Comptroller but on Wiki Talk a
chap suggesting (in 2006) that the name Fat Comptroller was ever used
was basically told to go away.

Fat Comptroller clearly WAS used, as a search for the term will show.
I suspect the name was changed to controller many years ago as
comptroller was an unusual word and controller almost a homophone.

Controller seems an odd title and not in common (non-railway) use. But
railways do have control offices. Were those working in control styled
as Controllers?

I've posted evidence it went from Director to Controller in the early
50's.

When is your first sighting on Comptroller?

As a boy it's the only term I can remember seeing, sticking in the
memory because it seemed an odd word. I'd guess around 1960, so not
long before this thread started in 2004.

I'd have been willing to consider the possibility that I'd been
mistaken if there weren't others with similar memories out there.

I don't think you are mistaken, but we are trying to establish the
timeline of when the job description changed.

Prior to 1949 it was "Fat Director", and the newest one I have is 1961
(Branch Line Engines, No16, a genuine first edition) when it was still
"Fat Controller".

In the interim, never "Fat Comptroller".

Did it perhaps go Director - Controller - Comptroller - Controller ?
--
Roland Perry

On Tue, 9 Mar 2021 10:02:52 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 09:51:40 on
Tue, 9 Mar 2021, Trolleybus remarked:
On Tue, 9 Mar 2021 08:37:02 +0000, Roland Perry
wrote:

Wiki suggests the Fat Director was used for a couple of books. The web
is scattered with references to the Fat Comptroller but on Wiki Talk a
chap suggesting (in 2006) that the name Fat Comptroller was ever used
was basically told to go away.

Fat Comptroller clearly WAS used, as a search for the term will show.
I suspect the name was changed to controller many years ago as
comptroller was an unusual word and controller almost a homophone.

Controller seems an odd title and not in common (non-railway) use. But
railways do have control offices. Were those working in control styled
as Controllers?

I've posted evidence it went from Director to Controller in the early
50's.

When is your first sighting on Comptroller?

As a boy it's the only term I can remember seeing, sticking in the
memory because it seemed an odd word. I'd guess around 1960, so not
long before this thread started in 2004.

I'd have been willing to consider the possibility that I'd been
mistaken if there weren't others with similar memories out there.

I don't think you are mistaken, but we are trying to establish the
timeline of when the job description changed.

Prior to 1949 it was "Fat Director", and the newest one I have is 1961
(Branch Line Engines, No16, a genuine first edition) when it was still
"Fat Controller".

In the interim, never "Fat Comptroller".

Did it perhaps go Director - Controller - Comptroller - Controller ?

Maybe, of maybe the books that had comptroller were changed to
controller at reprint?

Could make an interesting research project for a bored person.