Robert Sinclair (locomotive engineer)

Robert Sinclair (1 July 1817 – 20 October 1898) was born in London but came from a Caithness family. He became Chief Mechanical Engineer of several British railways and also worked in France. He retired to Italy, where he died.[1]

Robert Sinclair
Born1 July 1817
London, England
Died20 October 1898
NationalityBritish
EducationCharterhouse School
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
DisciplineMechanical engineering

Career

Early years

He was apprenticed to a shipbuilder and later worked for Robert Stephenson, the Grand Junction Railway and the Paris and Rouen Railway.[2]

Chief mechanical engineer

He was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Caledonian Railway (CR) from 1847–1856, the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) from 1856–1862 and, following a merger of railways, of the Great Eastern Railway (GER) from 1862–1865.[3]

Consulting engineer

Sinclair resigned from the GER 1865, and became a consulting engineer. In this capacity, he designed a fast 2-4-2 locomotive for the Great Luxemburg Railway, and an outside cylinder 2-4-0 for the East Indian Railway. The Luxembourg 2-4-2 design was later adapted into a 2-4-2T for commuter services on the GER.[4]

Locomotive designs

Innovations

Sinclair was an early user of:[5]

References

  1. "Robert Sinclair". www.steamindex.com. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  2. steamindex.com
  3. "LNER Encyclopedia: Robert Sinclair". www.lner.info. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  4. lner.info
  5. steamindex.com
Business positions
Preceded by
(First loco engineer)
Locomotive Superintendent of the Caledonian Railway
1847–1856
Succeeded by
Benjamin Connor
Preceded by
John Viret Gooch
Locomotive Superintendent of the
Eastern Counties Railway

1856–1862
Post abolished
Company merged into the
Great Eastern Railway 
Preceded by
(First loco engineer)
Locomotive Superintendent of the
Great Eastern Railway

1862–1865
Succeeded by
Samuel Waite Johnson
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