Overseas engineers

Mainly engineers, trained in Britain (including Ireland), who spent their working lives in India or Africa or South America or one of the many other locations, typically in the former British Colonies and Empire. Most of information has come from obituaries in Journal of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers..

Atock, George
Born in Limerick on 22 May 1872. Son of Martin Atock, locomotive engineer. Died in Liverpool on 12 June 1944. Educated at Arnold College, Blackpool and High School, Dublin. Pupil of his father at Broadstone. Brief period with Kitson's and for a time foreman of the Tuam locomotive running district. Then spent his career on railways in Burma, Cuba and Venezuela.
US Patent 1,332,480 Liquid-fuel burner for furnaces of locomotive-boilers and for other furnaces. Published 2 March 1920
Shepherd, Ernie. The Atock/Attock family: a worldwide railway engineering dynasty. 2009. 264pp. (Oakwood Library of Railway History No. 150). NB Patent found on Espacenet

Barber, Sam
Died at Ewell, Surrey on 12 August 1962 aged 62. Educated at Kirkby Lonsdale and Queen’s College Oxford, where he took an honours degree in Mechanical Sciences. Served with Border Regiment during WW1 from 1918. Pupilage at Derby under Sir Henry Fowler; then joined Great Indian Peninsula Railway as a motive power officer in 1924. During his first posting he planned the then new Bhusaval locomotive machine and fitting shops at a time when steam locomotive shopping periods were being lengthened: work led to early promotion as Divisional Power Officer, followed by headquarter appointments as Line Fuel Officer and later as senior Motive Power Officer in Bombay. After a period as the GIP Railway’s Deputy General Manager at the end of WW2 he was transferred to London as European Liaison Officer for the re-constituted Indian Government Railway Board. Joined Merz and McLellan in 1955 when his work brought him into close contact with railway projects on Continental Europe, in Africa and in the UK. In India remembered for his fuel researches which led to the adoption of local low-grade fuels for the wide fire-box standard engines introduced throughout the country. He gained his soccer “blue”, played for the Corinthians and was signed as an amateur with Preston North End. Sam was never ruffled. He was remembered by his colleagues for his industry, modesty and his superbly clear and analytical mind which enabled him quickly to get to the root of every problem he tackled. He was a first class administrator and while not always in agreement with headquarter’s instructions, he possessed the commendable knack of being able to stick quietly and firmly to his point, thereby influencing policy to the good without upsetting anyone. He was elected a member of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in 1938. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1962, 52, 655-6...

Bruce, William Duff
Born at Brooklawn near Mowhill, County Leitrim on 10 April 1839. Educated in St Andrews, Scotland. Apprenticed at Thomas Grendon of Drogheda for four years and then returned to St Andrews for further study before going to India where he studied at Roorkee College before taking up career in Indian public works, In 1887 set up as consulting engineer in Westminster where he was involved in Indian railways including Assam Bengal Railway. Died in London on 24 April 1900. Obit. Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs., 1900, 58, 324 and Mike Chrimes in Chrimes.

Cardus, James
Born in Leeds in 1898, and educated at Cockburn High School. His technical knowledge was obtained at Holbeck Mechanics Institute and Leeds University (Evening Sessions). He joined Messrs. Job, Day & Sons as a junior draughtsman in 1912, and a year later was apprenticed to Messrs. Manning, Wardle & Co., spending two years in the various shops, and the remainder of his time in the drawing office. For fifteen months of WW1 he was in the Royal Air Force as a fitter and turner, before returning to Manning, Wardle as a locomotive draughtsman, with whom he remained until 1924, when he migrated to Buenos Ayres to become a locomotive draughtsman in the locomotive drawing office of the chief mechanical engineer of the Central Argentine Railway. In 1934 he was in charge of the locomotive drawing office and in 1936 assistant chief draughtsman of the locomotive carriage and wagon drawing office, subsequently becoming chief in 1937. Died 26 October 26 1940. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1940, 30, 502.

Carr, Andrew Custance
Carr was born in 1867 and received his early education at Berwick-on-Tweed Grammar School from 1876 to 1884. He served his engineering apprenticeship on the North Eastern Railway at Gateshead Works. Whilst there he attended. Durham College of Science. On completion of his time he was made an Inspector of Material and for a short time was in charge of the mechanical test house and District Inspector of Stationary Machinery. In 1892 he joined the locomotive department of the East Indian Railway where he rose to become the Deputy Locomotive Superintendent. In 1905 he joined the Bengal Nagpur Railway as Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer. In 1909 he visited railway workshops in the United States and Canada, and in 1912 he became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the BNR. For the 1917-18 Session he was Chairman of the Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent's Committee of the Indian Railway Conference Association. In 1918 he was loaned to the British Government and took over the general managership of Coventry Ordnance Works, returning to India in 1920 as Agent and General Manager of the B.N. Rly. In 1922 he retired from India and became a Partner in Sir John Wolfe Barry & Partners. He was President of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers, Session 1935-36. He was renowned for his sound judgment and rendered valuable service to the Institution  of Locomotive Engineers in many directions. He died on January 25th at the age of 77. Obituary J. Instn Loco. Engrs, 1945, 35, 77-8 (with port.).

Collins, Francis Richard
Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Richard Collins, D.S.O., Officier Legion d’honneur, President for Instn Loco. Engrs. 1937-38, was son of Rev. Richard Collins, and was born in 1873. He was educated at Almondbury Grammar School and Huddersfield Technical School. On leaving school, in 1891, he became a premium apprentice at the Crewe Works of the LNWR and, on completion of his time, a pupil of F.W. Webb. In 1896, after a term in the Drawing Office, he was appointed Locomotive Foreman at Ordsall Lane (Manchester), being transferred later to Aston Shed at Birmingham and then to Camden.
In 1901-2 he was placed in command of a section of the 2nd Cheshire R.E. (Railway Volunteers) in the South African War, attached to the 10th Company of Royal Engineers, and later to the Imperial Military Railways. From 1902-4 he was District Locomotive Supt. at Bloemfontein, on the Central South African Railways. He was appointed Works Manager at Pretoria in 1 9 ~ 4an d Supt. Mech. and Motive Power, South African Railways, at Johannesburg in 1908.
In 1914-15 he was Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding the South African Engineer Corps, in the operations in South- West Africa, and was mentioned in despatches. He came to France in 1916, in command of the South African Railway Troops, and, later, was appointed Assistant Director of Light Railways, Fifth Army. He was again mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.O. and made an Officier Legion d’honneur.
Returning to the services of the South African Railways in 1919, he visited Canada and the U.S.A. on inspection work and was appointed, in 1920, Advisory Engineer to the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in London. In 1922 he became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South African Railways, residing in Pretoria. He retired in 1929. Died 19 October 1957..
He was a delegate at the International Railway Conferences at Berne in 1910; at Rome in 1922; and in London in 1925. He was elected a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1917 and a Member of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers in 1920. J. Instn Loco. Engrs, 1937, 27, 461 (obituary J. Instn Loco. Engrs, 1957, 47,  544-5) and Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1937, 43, 313-14.

Cossey, John Cecil George
Died 16 June 1962 aged seventy-nine, retired from the boards of ABC Coupler and Engineering Co. Ltd., Wota Ltd. and Meboe Ltd. in 1948. Began career as a premium apprentice in 1900 at Stratford Works of Great Eastern Railway, later becoming a draughtsman. He subsequently gained experience in the shops of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and afterwards became Shop Superintendent, Canadian National Railways, Winnipeg. He joined the ABC Coupler and Engineering Co. Ltd. as Engineer and Secretary in 1920, becoming a Director and Chief Engineer in 1933. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1962, 52, 316-17..

Ferguson, Archibald
Born Glasgow 22 September 1903; died on 8 August 1962. Educated Whitehill Senior Secondary School and Glasgow Royal Technical College. In 1918 apprenticed with Messrs. Barr and Stroud, joining their staff as a draughtsman in 1925. In August 1927 he transferred to the LMS Railway as a draughtsman at St. Rollox Works, where he was in charge of design for jigs, fixtures, tools, shop layout, etc. In 1930 he took up an appointment with the Burma Railways, being progressively Draughtsman, Chief Draughtsman, Personal Assistant to the CME and Assistant Works Manager. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, he was employed in India and in London as a planning officer on the preparation of locomotive and machinery requirements for the rehabilitation of the Burma Railways. On the re-occupation of Burma he became Works Manager at Insein Locomotive Works, where his powers of improvisation and his devotion to his beloved workshops ensured that they were back into useful production long before the expected planned date. For this work he received an MBE. In 1948 when Burma achieved independence Archie Ferguson returned to the United Kingdom and joined the staff of Rendel Palmer and Tritton as an Inspecting Engineer. He remained with this firm in charge of Inspection in the London Area until his death. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1962, 52, 317.

Jones, Hugh
Son of David Jones of Highland Railway and apprenticed at Lochgorm Works. Went to South Africa. see Sinclair, Neil T. Beyond the Highland Railway - Part Two. Backtrack, 2010, 24, 348-51.

Lamb, George Hamish
Born 15 March 1887. Educated Loughborough Grammar School and Nottingham University College. Engineering apprenticeship with Brush Electrical, then served in several electrical concerns. Following military service in WW1 where he saw service on the Mesopotanian Railways untl 1921 he joined the GIPR where he retired as deputy chief mechanical engineer in 1947 and retired to Australia where he died on 24 September 1948. Obituary: J. Instn Loco Engrs, 1948, 38, 862

Lloyd, George Wilmot
Born in 1885. Died from cholera at Lucknow on 26 June 1932. Had spent many years in India as locomotive superintendent on various sections of the North Western and East Indian Railways. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Finsbury Technical College, and commenced his apprenticeship in 1904 at Hyde Park Works of North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow. In 1907 joined Blackstone and Company of Stamford as general draughtsman and remained with them until 1908. He then went to Canada for about four months on construction work which was being carried out by the New Canadian Company of Port Daniel in connexion with the Atlantic Quebec and Western Railway, Gaspé Canada. On return to England in 1909 became personal assistant to E. Bailey-Denton of Westminster for a period of six months. He then joined, in 1910, the GNR at King's Cross as charge-hand fitter in the running sheds. In 1911 Lloyd went to Chile as draughtsman on the Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway. Obitauary Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs., 1932, 122, 730.

Milne, W.
Locomotive Superintendent Natal Government Railway. Introduced 4-8-2Ts, built by Dübs in 1888. Backtrack, 2008, 22, 686.

Mullick, Ajit Kumar
Died 7 December 1962; born 1907: educated at St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta and the Leys School, Cambridge. Served pupilage under R.E.L. Maunsell, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, joined the former Eastern Bengal Railway as an Assistant Locomotive Superintendent. During WW2 was commissioned in the Indian Engineers’ Corps and served as an Assistant Technical Recruiting Officer in Calcutta. On the formation of the Defence of India Corps, he was seconded to that establishment as second-in-command of the Bengal Assam Railway Group in which formation he attained the rank of Major. At time of Indian partition, he was serving as Works Manager, Saidpur on the Bengal-Assam Railway and was transferred as Works Manager (C. & W.) to Kanchrapara. After serving in various capacities as a Deputy CME on the Bengal Assam and East Indian Railways, he was appointed CME of the Northern Railway in 1952 and in 1956 transferred in the same capacity to the Eastern Railway. In 1960 Mullick was appointed Senior Deputy General Manager, S.E. Railway. Obituary: J. Instn Loco Engrs, 1963, 53, 134-5.

Pearce, Robert Webb
Born Macclesfield on 11 November 1831, educated at the local grammar school. Apprenticed to Brown Marshalls & Co., in New Canal Street, Birmingham, and afterwards at their new Britannia Carriage Works, Saltley. Passing through the shops he became confidential assistant and chief of the drawing office. In 1855 he was offered and accepted the post of carriage and wagon superintendent of the East Indian Railway, and left England in December 1855; but finding his position not what he expected, he would have left the railway and started wagon-building works in India. He was persuaded however to remain, and afterwards had independent charge of the carriage and wagon department from Howrah to Delhi and Jubbulpore, about 1,500 miles of line. The large works at Howrah were designed and built under his superintendence, employing at the busiest time from three to four thousand local workmen, all trained under him. The whole of the East Indian Railway stock has been built or erected at the Howrah works, together with a great portion of the stock in use by the metre-gauge railways. His designs were copied throughout India, and he was the first to introduce iron instead of wood for the panels and framing of carriages and wagons. He was also the first to recognise the value of oil as a lubricant for railway vehicles, instead of grease; and his design of an axle-box for oil and cotton waste became almost universally adopted in India. He nearly doubled the carrying power of the old wagon stock, by increasing the size of axle and journal ; and, had he lived, would shortly have completed his design of 18 feet by 9 feet iron covered goods wagon, weighing 7 tons and carrying 15 tons, a gross load of 22 tons on two axles with 43 inch journals ; paying load more than 2 to 1. The improvements he introduced into railway carriages and wagons were so numerous and so important that he has been called the father of carriage and wagon building in India, and is looked upon in this light by the natives. His long residence in the tropical climate of Bengal, and his disinclination to take leave of absence during thirteen years with scarcely a day’s holiday, and his constant application to work, eventually told on a fine constitution. A few years ago he was attacked with malarious fever, from which he never quite recovered ; and in April 1888 he took furlough to England, but too late to shake off the effects of climate ; and he died at West Kensington, London, on 26 July 1889.

Rennie, Charles
Died 23 October 1926 at Bridgtown, Barbados. Born Jamestown, Scotland in 1869. Early education at Renton and Bonhill Public Schools. From 1884-88 was apprentice boiler maker at Dalmonach Works, Bonhill, Scotland. Then joined New York Central Railroad in locomotive department from 1889-1901. He then went to the machine shops of the Delaware and Hudson RR at Green Island for two years, and then for three years was master mechanic at the Central Vermont RR shops, Brattleboro. In 1906 appointed locomotive superintendent of the Northern Railroad of Costa Rica, but relinquished position to serve with British Army in France, 1918-19. Next appointment was Divisional Locomotive Superintendent, Cuban Central Railway, from 1920-21, after which he became the Railway Lubrication Service Engineer of the Galena Signal Oil in the Argentine. In 1924 he resigned to resume old post with Northern RR of Costa Rica, but serious illness on voyage there caused him to retire from active work and return to Bonhill. On regaining strength he rejoined the Galena Signal Oil., but in a few months his illness re-occurred and forced him to give up work: he died in Barbados whilst en route to Costa Rica.

Renwick, Henry Percival
Born  London in 1889. Died 24 October 1958. Educated St Olave's Grammar School. Apprenticed on SECR at Longhedge. Went to India in 1912 to work on Nizam's State Railway. See ILocoE papers 130 and 320..  Obit. J. Instn Loco. Engrs, 1958, 48, 420

Roberts, Ian
Apprentice at Lochgorm Works from 1909. Served with the Lovat Scouts during WW1; following which he moved to St. Rollox on the Caledonian Railway. In 1921 he became assistant locomotive superintendent on the Mesopotanian Railway, and became works manager at the Stalchiyah Works in Baghdad. In 1939 he left to work for the British Ministry of Supply in Canada. He retired to Ireland. see Sinclair, Neil T. Beyond the Highland Railway - Part Two. Backtrack, 2010, 24, 348-51..

Charles de Segundo, Frederick.
Born London in 1900. Died 9 October 1931. Joined Royal Air Force as cadet pilot in October 1918, but demobilized in January 1919, and after a few months’ study became an assistant master at a preparatory school. In July 1920 he became a pupil of Gresley  in the locomotive department of the Great Northern Railway at Doncaster. After further experience in the running department of the company he went to South America in 1926 as assistant district locomotive superintendent on the Buenos Ayres Great Southern Railway. He was eventually obliged to return to England on sick leave, and owing to continued ill-health was unable to return to Buenos Ayres. . Obitauary Proc. Instn Mech. Engrs., 1932, 122, 735.

Smyth, William Addison
Born in Dublin in 1902. Pupil of W.H. Morton at Broadstone from 1920. Moved to Ceylon in 1929 where he became Deputy Mechanical Engineer in 1931 and Mechanical Engineer in 1935. Implemented a diesel traction policy.
Shepherd, Ernie. The Atock/Attock family: a worldwide railway engineering dynasty. 2009. 264pp. (Oakwood Library of Railway History No. 150). NB Patent found on Espacenet

Sturgeon, William Ambrose
Born in Gillingham, Kent, in 1868. His father took him to Buenos Aires when a small child, and he was educated at a "Scotch" school, situated at that time in Calle Peru. He served his Engineering Apprenticeship on the B.A. & Great Southern Railway from 1883 to 1889, finishing up in the Drawing Office. For a time he was Assistant Inspector of Vacuum Brakes, Water & Gas, and left in 1890 to take up a similar post on the B.A. Western Railway. In 1894 he was made Superintendent of all outside Locomotive Depots with Headquarters at Bragado. At the end of 1908 he was transferred to Haedo as Assistant Chief Mecanico y Traccion and in 1923 was made Assistant Mechanical Engineer-in-Chief at Liniers, which post he held until his retirement in 1927 after 45 years’ continuous railway service. He died in Buenos Aires on 28 December 1936. Obituary: J. Instn Loco. Engrs., 1937, 27, 581.

Watson, Allan Griffiths
Born Hopetown, Cape Province in 1876. Died in Cape Town on 13 November 1945. Chief Mechanical Engineer, South African Railways & Harbours. Educated South Africa College and began apprenticeship at Beaufort Works in 1894, but in 1895 went to Hyde Park Works in Glasgow and Glasgow Technical College. Returned to Southern Africa in 1900 rejoining the Cape Government Railways at Springfontein. In 1901 he was appointed temporary acting district locomotive superintendent at Naauwpoort. Between 1902 and 1910 was chief draughtsman at Uitenhage. In 1910, when the railways were united to form South African Railways & Harbours Watson was appointed assistant superintendent (mechanical) at Kimberley. In 1914-15 he was on active service in South West Africa in the S African Engineering Corps, returning to Kimberley until 1922 when he was appointed mechanical engineer at Uitenhage works. In 1926 he was appointed to the same position at Durban works where he designed and built some low-cost double-englned railcars for branch-line work. On 1 April 1928 he was appointed assistant CME at Pretoria and on 1 April 1929 succeeded Lt Col L. Collins as CME of the entire S African Rs & Harbours (see Locomotive, 1929, 35, 186). He introduced water-softening plants for the Karoo Cape Midlands and SW African systems, modernized works with improved layouts, machinery and buildings, and established the construction of rolling stock in the Administrion's own works. He introduced three standard locomotive boilers and developed several large locomotive types including the 15E class 4-8-2 and the 16E class 4-6-2 for main line work, and the 19B and 19C 4-8-2, 20 class 2-8-2 and 21 class 2-10-4 for branch line service on 45 and 60lb/yd rails. He retired in 1936. Marshall.