Charles Beyer
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Beyer (an anglicised form of his original German
name Carl Friedrich Beyer) (14 May 1813 — 16 June 1876) was a German
-British
locomotive engineer
, co-founder of the firm Beyer-Peacock
.
, Saxony
. He was taught to draw by a student, convalescing in the district. Some of his pinned-up drawings were noticed by a local official, and a place was procured for him at Dresden Polytechnic, an institute of technical education. (It was said that his parents could not afford his education, but were afraid of giving offence to the civil servant.) Beyer supplemented a meagre state scholarship by doing odd jobs. (A philanthropic lady was in the habit of giving Sunday dinner to the student with the highest marks that week. Beyer relied on the meal, and consequently made sure that he out-performed everyone else.)
to report on weaving machine
technology
. He visited Manchester
, then considered the major centre in engineering technology. He returned to Dresden
to file his report, but then returned to England
in 1834. He wanted experience at a large foundry, but his youth and foreign origin seemed to tell against him. At one interview, he was offered some gold sovereign
s to defray the costs of his journey. He angrily expostulated that it was work that he wanted, and this swayed the potential employer.
in Manchester
, manufacturers of textile machinery, as a junior draughtsman and developed a lifelong friendship with Richard Roberts
. During the following years Sharp, Roberts and Company began to turn its main attention to the construction of locomotives, and Roberts soon delegated most of the locomotive design work to Beyer. The Sharp locomotives of the 1840s, particularly the 2-2-2
passenger and 0-4-2
goods, were almost completely Beyer's creations, and while he was careful to ensure that his designs were stout and long lasting, he also contrived to give his designs a distinctive and beautiful external appearance which became a tradition of Sharp locomotives. It almost certtainly caught the attention of the King of Saxony, who visited the Sharp factory in 1844, and it was not long before the Saxon railways ordered Sharp locomotives.
, Beyer founded Beyer, Peacock and Company
in Gorton
, Manchester. The new works, known as Gorton Foundry was built on the opposite side to the railway to Gorton locomotive works
of the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. Beyer, Peacock became one of the most famous locomotive building companies, exporting engines all over the world and becoming famous after Beyer's death for the 'Beyer-Garratt
' articulated locomotive.
He was a founding member and a prime mover in the foundation of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
in 1847, but there is no truth in the long-standing report that the institution was founded in his house in Manchester (it was in fact founded at the Queens Hotel at Curzon Street railway station
in Birmingham
). He was a generous supporter of Owens College
(predecessor of today's the University of Manchester
) and endowed the Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
. He bequeathed £114,000 (roughly £10 million today) to the college.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
name Carl Friedrich Beyer) (14 May 1813 — 16 June 1876) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
locomotive engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, co-founder of the firm Beyer-Peacock
Beyer-Peacock
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
.
Early life
Beyer was the son of a weaver, born in PlauenPlauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. He was taught to draw by a student, convalescing in the district. Some of his pinned-up drawings were noticed by a local official, and a place was procured for him at Dresden Polytechnic, an institute of technical education. (It was said that his parents could not afford his education, but were afraid of giving offence to the civil servant.) Beyer supplemented a meagre state scholarship by doing odd jobs. (A philanthropic lady was in the habit of giving Sunday dinner to the student with the highest marks that week. Beyer relied on the meal, and consequently made sure that he out-performed everyone else.)
Career
Upon graduation Beyer took a job in a machine works at Chemnitz, and he obtained a state grant from the Saxon Government to visit the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to report on weaving machine
Machine
A machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. He visited Manchester
Manchester
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...
, then considered the major centre in engineering technology. He returned to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to file his report, but then returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1834. He wanted experience at a large foundry, but his youth and foreign origin seemed to tell against him. At one interview, he was offered some gold sovereign
British Sovereign coin
The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.Named after the English gold sovereign, last minted in 1604, the name was revived with the Great Recoinage of 1816. Minting these new sovereigns began in 1817...
s to defray the costs of his journey. He angrily expostulated that it was work that he wanted, and this swayed the potential employer.
Sharp, Roberts and Company
Beyer began work with Sharp, Roberts and CompanySharp, Roberts and Company
Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, initially based in Manchester, England. The company was formed in 1843 upon the demise of Sharp, Roberts & Co. and moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1888, eventually amalgamating with two other Glasgow-based locomotive manufacturers to...
in Manchester
Manchester
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...
, manufacturers of textile machinery, as a junior draughtsman and developed a lifelong friendship with Richard Roberts
Richard Roberts (engineer)
Richard Roberts was a British engineer whose development of high-precision machine tools contributed to the birth of production engineering and mass production.-Early life:...
. During the following years Sharp, Roberts and Company began to turn its main attention to the construction of locomotives, and Roberts soon delegated most of the locomotive design work to Beyer. The Sharp locomotives of the 1840s, particularly the 2-2-2
2-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
passenger and 0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
goods, were almost completely Beyer's creations, and while he was careful to ensure that his designs were stout and long lasting, he also contrived to give his designs a distinctive and beautiful external appearance which became a tradition of Sharp locomotives. It almost certtainly caught the attention of the King of Saxony, who visited the Sharp factory in 1844, and it was not long before the Saxon railways ordered Sharp locomotives.
Beyer, Peacock and Company
In 1853, with Richard PeacockRichard Peacock
Richard Peacock was an English engineer, one of the founders of locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock.-Early life and education:...
, Beyer founded Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
in Gorton
Gorton
Gorton is an area of the city of Manchester, in North West England. It is located to the southeast of Manchester city centre. Neighbouring areas include Longsight and Levenshulme....
, Manchester. The new works, known as Gorton Foundry was built on the opposite side to the railway to Gorton locomotive works
Gorton locomotive works
Gorton Locomotive Works, known locally as Gorton Tank was located in Openshaw near Manchester, England and was completed in 1848 by the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway.- History :...
of the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. Beyer, Peacock became one of the most famous locomotive building companies, exporting engines all over the world and becoming famous after Beyer's death for the 'Beyer-Garratt
Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
' articulated locomotive.
He was a founding member and a prime mover in the foundation of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
in 1847, but there is no truth in the long-standing report that the institution was founded in his house in Manchester (it was in fact founded at the Queens Hotel at Curzon Street railway station
Curzon Street railway station
Curzon Street railway station was a railway station in Birmingham that was used briefly for regular scheduled passenger services between 1838 and 1854 when it acted as the terminus for both the London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway, with lines connecting Birmingham to London...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
). He was a generous supporter of Owens College
Victoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
(predecessor of today's the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
) and endowed the Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics
The Beyer Chair of Applied Mathematics is an endowed professorial position in the School of Mathematics, University of Manchester, England. The endowment came from the engineer Charles Frederick Beyer, a generous supporter of the University....
. He bequeathed £114,000 (roughly £10 million today) to the college.