Archibald Sturrock
Encyclopedia
Archibald Sturrock was a Scottish
mechanical engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the Great Northern Railway
from 1850 until c. 1866, having from 1840 been Daniel Gooch
's assistant on the Great Western Railway
.
Archibald Sturrock is often remembered for his unsuccessful experiment with steam tenders. However, his principal achievement was the opening of the Great Northern main line and the establishment of GNR’s reputation for a reliable and comfortable passenger service from London
to York
and beyond.
in 1816. His father, who was agent to the Bank of Scotland
, was shocked when Sturrock, aged 15, took an apprenticeship at the Dundee Foundry. Here he was involved with the construction of a locomotive for the Dundee and Newtyle Railway
and met Daniel Gooch
, who was to become Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Western Railway
.
, and travel abroad, Sturrock persuaded Gooch to offer him a post in the Locomotive department of the GWR in 1840. In spite of a difficult initial relationship with Brunel
, Sturrock won his confidence and was appointed Works Manager at Swindon Works
. Sturrock worked with Gooch, who was based in London, designing and building the Iron Duke
and other GWR locomotives. When the recession of the late 1840s hit the GWR, a glowing reference from Brunel helped secure Sturrock the post of Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway in 1850.
. He was involved with the founding of the Yorkshire Engine Company
and chaired the business for several years. He died in London in 1909.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mechanical engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
from 1850 until c. 1866, having from 1840 been Daniel Gooch
Daniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
's assistant on the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
.
Archibald Sturrock is often remembered for his unsuccessful experiment with steam tenders. However, his principal achievement was the opening of the Great Northern main line and the establishment of GNR’s reputation for a reliable and comfortable passenger service from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and beyond.
Dundee Foundry
Sturrock was born in DundeeDundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
in 1816. His father, who was agent to the Bank of Scotland
Bank of Scotland
The Bank of Scotland plc is a commercial and clearing bank based in Edinburgh, Scotland. With a history dating to the 17th century, it is the second oldest surviving bank in what is now the United Kingdom, and is the only commercial institution created by the Parliament of Scotland to...
, was shocked when Sturrock, aged 15, took an apprenticeship at the Dundee Foundry. Here he was involved with the construction of a locomotive for the Dundee and Newtyle Railway
Dundee and Newtyle Railway
The Dundee and Newtyle Railway opened in 1831 and was the first railway in the north of Scotland. It was built to carry goods from Strathmore to the port of Dundee and was chartered with an Act of Parliament that received royal assent in 26 May 1826 and opened in 1831. The railway originally ran...
and met Daniel Gooch
Daniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
, who was to become Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
.
Great Western Railway
Following a period with Fairbairns in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and travel abroad, Sturrock persuaded Gooch to offer him a post in the Locomotive department of the GWR in 1840. In spite of a difficult initial relationship with Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, Sturrock won his confidence and was appointed Works Manager at Swindon Works
Swindon Works
Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire.-History:In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of a railway between London and Bristol. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel.From 1836, Brunel had been buying...
. Sturrock worked with Gooch, who was based in London, designing and building the Iron Duke
GWR Iron Duke Class
The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class 4-2-2 was a class of broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work.-History:The prototype locomotive, Great Western, was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846, but was soon converted to a 4-2-2 arrangement...
and other GWR locomotives. When the recession of the late 1840s hit the GWR, a glowing reference from Brunel helped secure Sturrock the post of Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway in 1850.
Great Northern Railway
During his 16 years with the GNR Sturrock designed over a dozen classes of both passenger and goods locomotives to meet the needs of the fast growing railway, where the transport of coal and other minerals was as important to the profitability of the line as passenger traffic. Sturrock was accountable for around 40% of expenditure and he continually battled with the Chairman and board to persuade them to purchase locomotives, wagons and carriages in time to meet the growing demands of the line. In 1850 when Sturrock joined the GNR, there were 340 employees in the Locomotive Department and the locomotive mileage was 609,092. When he retired in 1866, the employees numbered 3,834 and the mileage was 4,873,113.Yorkshire Engine Company
Sturrock had a long and active retirement in DoncasterDoncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
. He was involved with the founding of the Yorkshire Engine Company
Yorkshire Engine Company
The Yorkshire Engine Company was a small independent locomotive manufacturer in Sheffield, England. The Company was formed in 1865 and continued to produce locomotives and carry out general engineering work until 1965...
and chaired the business for several years. He died in London in 1909.
External links
- http://www.steamindex.com/people/sturrock.htm